# Origin and pronunciation of the name "Beckx" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 10, 2015, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-and-pronunciation-of-the-name-beckx/719714 "2015-05-10T18:21:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2015, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-and-pronunciation-of-the-name-beckx/719714/1 "2015-05-10T18:21:34Z")
[P.-J. Beckx](http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02382b.htm) was the leader of the Jesuits from 1853 until 1887 (though in name only for the last four years). His surname features what is (to me) an unusual consonant cluster—where does this name come from and how is it pronounced? Beckx was Belgian, but it’s not clear to me whether his family was Flemish- or French-speaking; reference works give his given names variously as “Pieter-Jan” or “Pierre-Jean”. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2015, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-and-pronunciation-of-the-name-beckx/719714/2 "2015-05-10T18:41:49Z")
Well according to his Wiki page he was born and schooled deep within the Flemish part of Belgium, so it’s a good bet he was Flemish (that’s not a French-like name anyway). As for how to pronounce his name : my SO (who lived 15 years in Brussels) says “Beck I guess ? I’unno”, while I would pronounce it “Beks”. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2015, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-and-pronunciation-of-the-name-beckx/719714/3 "2015-05-10T20:28:12Z")
Fast forwarding to a more recent century, we find a Belgian race car driver named [Jacky Ickx](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacky_Ickx), pronounced Icks or Ix. ---
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2015, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-and-pronunciation-of-the-name-beckx/719714/4 "2015-05-10T20:32:25Z")
And cyclist Eddy Merckx, pronounced “murks.” [Eddy Merckx - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddy_Merckx) ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2015, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-and-pronunciation-of-the-name-beckx/719714/5 "2015-05-10T20:35:52Z")
And Belgian cyclist Eddy Merckx, pronounced merks. Merckx and Ickx had an event this year called the Merckx-Ickx Expo. ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2015, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-and-pronunciation-of-the-name-beckx/719714/6 "2015-05-10T21:03:08Z")
It’s a dutchophone name that is pronounced ‘bex’. I think the name originated from something like ‘Beck’s son’, with the -n dropped over time. BTW, **TSBG** , Merckx is most certainly _not_ pronounced ‘murks’, not sure why you would say that since you clearly don’t speak the language you’re talking about. The -e- rhymes with pen as pronounced by someone who does not pronounce pen and pin the same. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2015, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-and-pronunciation-of-the-name-beckx/719714/7 "2015-05-10T21:28:46Z")
> [@Svejk\_1](#): > > It’s a dutchophone name that is pronounced ‘bex’. I think the name originated from something like ‘Beck’s son’, with the -n dropped over time. Whence the “x”, then? Why “Beckx” and not “Becks”? ---
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2015, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-and-pronunciation-of-the-name-beckx/719714/8 "2015-05-11T00:50:35Z")
> [@Svejk\_1](#): > > It’s a dutchophone name that is pronounced ‘bex’. I think the name originated from something like ‘Beck’s son’, with the -n dropped over time. > > BTW, **TSBG** , Merckx is most certainly _not_ pronounced ‘murks’, not sure why you would say that since you clearly don’t speak the language you’re talking about. The -e- rhymes with pen as pronounced by someone who does not pronounce pen and pin the same. I had heard it said “murks” and in confirming the pronunciation on Wiki I misread their pronunciation. I notice you did not dispute my characterization of the pronunciation of the ckx part. In conclusion, no need to get snippy. ---
**Author:** ![Hershele\_Ostropoler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e47c2d/32.png) [@Hershele\_Ostropoler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hershele_Ostropoler)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2015, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-and-pronunciation-of-the-name-beckx/719714/9 "2015-05-11T04:00:48Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Fast forwarding to a more recent century, we find a Belgian race car driver named [Jacky Ickx](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacky_Ickx), pronounced Icks or Ix. It means “boy who is not able satisfactorily to explain what a Hrung is, nor why it should choose to collapse on Betelgeuse Seven.” ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2015, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-and-pronunciation-of-the-name-beckx/719714/10 "2015-05-11T05:24:49Z")
It’s the same _x_ that appears at the end of the Bronx. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2015, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-and-pronunciation-of-the-name-beckx/719714/11 "2015-05-11T06:58:54Z")
> [@TSBG](#): > > And cyclist Eddy Merckx, pronounced “murks.” > > [Eddy Merckx - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddy_Merckx) > [@Svejk\_1](#): > > BTW, **TSBG** , Merckx is most certainly _not_ pronounced ‘murks’, not sure why you would say that since you clearly don’t speak the language you’re talking about. The -e- rhymes with pen as pronounced by someone who does not pronounce pen and pin the same. Yeah, that pronounciation is certainly [Murks](http://www.dict.cc/?s=murks). _runs_