Menzies
Menzies is a Scottish surname. It is probably derived, like its Gaelic form Méinnearach, from the Norman name Mesnières from the town of Mesnières-en-Bray in Normandy.[1][2][3]
Pronunciation
The name is traditionally pronounced — and still is in Scotland — /ˈmɪŋɪs/ MING-iss, since the English letter ⟨z⟩ was used as a substitute for the now obsolete English letter ⟨ȝ⟩ (yogh) in the Scots language (Menȝies). However, many now do not know this, and today it is often pronounced as if it were an English word and hence is often mispronounced /ˈmɛnziːz/ MEN-zeez. A Scottish limerick plays on the traditional pronunciation:
There wis a young lassie named Menzies,
That askit her aunt whit this thenzies.
Said her aunt wi a gasp,
"Ma dear, it's a wasp,
An you're haudin the end whaur the stenzies!"
The second and fifth lines are pronounced as though the <z> were a <ȝ>, making "thing is" and "sting is", to rhyme with "Menzies". "Wasp" rhymes with "gasp" in Scots.
As a surname
- Alan W. C. Menzies, Scots-born chemist and professor of Chemistry at Princeton University
- Alex Menzies, Scottish football player
- Alex Menzies (footballer, born 1882), Scottish international football player
- Archibald Menzies (1754–1842), British medic and biologist; ship's doctor and naturalist on board George Vancouver's voyage to the North Pacific
- Charles Menzies, anthropologist
- Charles Menzies (1783–1866), Royal Marines officer
- Douglas Menzies, former Justice of the High Court of Australia
- Sir Frederick Menzies, British physician
- Gavin Menzies, retired British submarine captain and author
- George Menzies, New Zealand rugby league footballer
- Gina Menzies, Irish media personality
- Heather Menzies (1949–2017), Canadian actress
- Henry Menzies (1867–1938), Scottish rugby player
- Hugh Menzies (1857–1925), Australian politician
- Ivan Menzies (1896–1985), singer and actor
- James Menzies, New Zealand politician
- James Menzies (Wisconsin) (1830–1913), American politician
- John Menzies, businessman
- John A. Menzies, Manitoba judge
- John K. Menzies, former US-Bosnian ambassador and academic
- Karl Menzies, Australian cyclist
- Mark Menzies, Scottish Conservative MP
- Neal Menzies, Australian Professor of Soil Science
- Peter Menzies Jr., Australian cinematographer
- Robert Menzies, Australia's longest serving Prime Minister
- Steve Menzies, Australian rugby league player
- Stewart Menzies, Head of British Secret Intelligence Service 1939–1952
- Ted Menzies, Canadian politician (MP)
- Tobias Menzies, actor
- William Cameron Menzies (1896–1957), American film director
As a given name
- Walter Menzies Campbell, former leader of the Liberal Democrats in the United Kingdom
- Iain Menzies Banks, Scottish writer, penname used for his science fiction works.
As a place name
Antarctica
- Mount Menzies, Antarctica
Australia
- Menzies, Queensland, a suburb in the City of Mount Isa
- Hundred of Menzies, a cadastral unit on Kangaroo Island in South Australia
- Menzies, Western Australia
- Shire of Menzies, Western Australia
- Menzies Aviation, company in Australia
See also
- Clan Menzies, Scottish clan
- Menzies (disambiguation), other meanings
- Mingus (disambiguation), pronounced similarly
References
If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name(s) to the link.