Trevathan Pronunciation

How do you pronounce Trevathan? Or if your family is named Trevethan,
Trefethen, or other spelling, how do you pronounce that name?

In the U.S., a person can pronounce their name any way they like. In some
languages, the rules of pronunciation are strict and there is only one right way to
pronounce a name.

For Trevathan, one pronunciation is
Tre-va’-thun   (accent on the second syllable)
e as in be, a as in pay, u as in cut

If you have an audio player on your computer, you can play the a recording
of the Trevathan pronounced this way by clicking on the triangle on the left. (Even
though I have lived in the mid-west all of my adult life, I grew up in Mississippi so
you may pick up that accent.)

Most people unfamiliar with the name seem to pronounce it:
Trev’-uh-thun   (accent on the first syllable)
e as in pet, u as in cut

Does any Trevathan pronounce their name this way?

Why do most Trevathans pronounce the name the first way above and most who
are not familiar with the name pronounce it the second?

Here is one answer:
“The tendency of English and Americans alike – it is a phonological law of the
language – is to shift the accent forward to the first syllable.   This is even stronger
in America than in England, with the result that many Cornish names are differently
pronounced in America, and sometimes the sense is lost.”
quote from the book The Cornish in America, A. L. Rowse, 1967

We are told that Trevethan is pronounced the same as Trevathan. If your name is
Trevethan do you pronounce it the same as above?

Send in a note about the way your pronounce your name. Spell out the
pronunciation similar to those above or even better, send in an audio tape
or file. We will post what you send in.

Trevathan Genealogy - with focus on the U.S. and with connections to similar names worldwide
Trevathan Pronunciation