Rowan's name

[owl]

Another poll, and I've included an 'other' option this time!

I've been reading Run Away Home lately. Now, I always thought that 'Rowan', the name (trees are row-ans), was pronounced 'Roh-an', but Giles calls her 'Rowley' for short, not 'Roley'. So that would seem to suggest 'Row-an'. What way do all of you say it? Is there an 'accepted' pronunciation?

[Poll #639088]

ETA: By ro-an I mean ro rhyming with go, and row-an with row rhyming with 'cow'. Sorry about that.

Comments

[ciorstaidh.livejournal.com]

I would pronounce Rowan Marlow's name "Roh-an," because she and her family are English. If she were Scottish (or her ancestry was), I'd pronounce it "Row-an."

In Scotland, the Rowan tree is pronounced "Row-an," but in England it's "Roh-an."

I do the same with Rowena. It's just automatic with me, having some pronunciations over the border - what with family and an upbringing in Scotland, but working in London (and apparently now having acquired an "English/posh" accent!)