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Beryl
This name was one of the jewel names popular in England and Australia between, roughly, 1900-25. (i know a Beryl born in 1946!). It is the name of a light green precious stone and many name books suggest that Jade is a better option for today's parents to choose.
I don't think Beryl ever caught on in America.
Now that some jewel names like Ruby seem to be on the rise, do you see any chance of a revival for Beryl and what do you think of it?

This message was edited 5/29/2008, 9:15 AM

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I absolutely love this name! I can't recall where I heard/read it first, but didn't know it was a jewel or gem name initially. Normally such names are not my style. I suppose they sound too materialistic or treasure-like to me, too superficial. Anyway, Beryl is a beautiful name. Probably helps that I like similar sounding names as well, i.e. Merrill(b)
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BarrelI do not like it for these reasons:I do not like gem names
I think B names are almost without exception comically awkward, even the ones I love
I dislike how it sounds
I don't like how it curls into itself aesthetically
In general I don't like y's very much
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I used to work with a lady named Beryl(BEHR-il). She was about 60 I think. Anyway, I don't particularly like it, but I would be stoked if it came up in the BAs. It is much, much better than Jade, which I find to be incredibly trashy.
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It's a GP of mine.It's one of my favorite stones, and also a character in Sailor Moon :)
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Eh... the sound is very unattractive. I don't think a name like Beryl is much of a competition with a name like Ruby.
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btw, Berel is a Yiddish man's name
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Dislike itI don't care for the sound. It sounds like barrel. I only saw it used once in a fantasy novel (The Green Rider, I think), and never heard it on a real person.
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I really hate the sound of this name. I didn't know it was a gem until after I knew it was a name, so it always reminds me of "bile." Yuck. It also reminds me of the name Darryl, which I loathe.
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I think Beryl is a pretty name. I like almost all names that refer to gems, and Beryl is one of the prettiest names I know that begins with a B. I doubt that Beryl is going to be making any sort of comeback soon, though.
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I don't like it at all.
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I've always liked Beryl. I know a woman here in the U.S. named Beryl. She's from Yonkers, New York, is in her 60's and pronounces it "burl." I have to force myself to pronounce it that way because it reminds me of Burl Ives. It just doesn't sound feminine.Now, pronounced the correct way, to rhyme with Cheryl, then it's lovely. Has anyone else run into the "burl" pronunciation? I hope not. I'd love to see Beryl ("BEHR-il") gain popularity.
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Where I'm from......or I should say, where my parents' families live, in the mountains of eastern Kentucky, Beryl and Cheryl would most likely be pronounced 'Burl' and 'Churl' ('Shirl' is a common variation of Cheryl there.). It's the accent. Almost any 'er' combination is pronounced as if it were 'ur', and also, almost any name ending with an 'a' is usually pronounced as though it ends in 'y' (there are exceptions to this rule. Not all male names follow this rule, and some female names don't.). For example Marthy for Martha.I, however, having a more Southern than Appalachian accent, say ('BEHR-il'). I want to like it, it's a name I should like in theory, but it reminds me of the character Beryl Caighn in Adam's Rib, and sadly, that association has soured me on the name.

This message was edited 5/29/2008, 11:28 AM

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Yep! Beryl's my mother's name and that's how my dad says it!!! Dreadful!!
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I knew a couple of women named Beryl, when I was growing up, and both pronounced it "Burl".
I don't even much like the "Beril" pronounciation, as it reminds me of the large wooden container(such as a rain barrel.) Although my late father pronounced THAT word, "baarrl"
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He does? How does your mother and her family pronounce it? Does it bug your mother?
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She's never liked the name anyway, though it suits her in the sense that her eyes are a lovely clear green. I've never heard her complain about that pronunciation though - which I think my paternal grandma also used! It reminds me of a big burly truckdriver!
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It's funny that you posted this right after I asked about Emerald, because emeralds are actually a type of beryl. :)I like most gemstone names (except Diamond), so Beryl appeals to me. My only concern with it is that some might see it as an "old lady" name. I can't say for sure, though, because I like several names that some consider dated.
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I love the name Beryl, I think its beautiful, my husband said he thinks its a weird old lady name so thats out the window.
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It's quite a coincidence because I was getting ready to post about Beryl when I saw your Emerald post. It looks like a copycat post bit it wasn't. :o)
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Oh, I didn't think it was a copycat, just an interesting coincidence.
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