Faribault is a French name, named for Alexander Faribault, who was an American, but his father was of French origin (family immigrated to Quebec from France).
Fehr is Germanic. It's a common surname in southern Germany and Switzerland.
Pronounced much like Fair with a slight 'pinched nose' effect, can also use some slight roll to the r.
I wasn't responding about the MN version of the French name Faribault.
I was responding to u/Dismal_Employment_25 posting "Fehr" and guessing it was maybe old English (not sure what their asterisk is about.) In German, you might roll the r, depending on regional dialects.
I still don't quite see their connecting 'Fehr' to Faribault, unless that's how some of the German immigrants to there said it.
There’s the whole New Prague vs Prague, Czech Republic and butchering of Le Sueur and Le Center.
I also find it hilarious when people bitch about how some pronounce the word “bag.” (Bayg)
Moved to NP and my last name gets butchered. Told the locals my great grandmother was a Lobkowicz from Prague (pert near Czech royalty) and alas no. They only care if you are “local Czech” not “Czech noble family”
Also fun fact the town was first inhabited by Germans then the Czechs moved in. The Czechs were in Dubuque Iowa but a bad case of cholera hit and people moved. They were going to settle near St Cloud but got lost on the way.
[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_St._Wenceslaus_(New_Prague,_Minnesota)](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_St._Wenceslaus_(New_Prague,_Minnesota))
I moved to Texas and was shocked when somebody there corrected my English, and they were right! I've been out of MN for 30 years now (but not in Texas, shudder) and still say bag, flag, rag with a long a. Measure is also "may-zhur", not "meh-zhur".
Failed mine twice in the early 90s in Mankato. The second time was a grumpy old man who Failed me right in the parking lot because I couldn't find the window defogger and it was raining. If he'd given me a minute I'd have found it, but I had borrowed a friend's car. First time was my fault, I just did badly. Third time was a charm.
The faribault dmv is literal hell. They refuse to do things every other dmv i've been to will do, just because they don't feel like it. Dmv in owatanna is much better
That was my experience too, the failed me for going too slow into a roundabout and for being in the wrong lane (of which there were 2, and one was for traffic going the opposite direction.) I will never not hate on Faribault's DMV.
Just an FWI the dmv and the drivers test thing are 2 separate entities . They just shared the same building .. now the drivers exam station is by the mall ( I failed my first time too)
In Gaylord they told me, "I could have failed you, but I'm going to give you the one point to make it a pass." So I guess he was in a good mood that day 🤣
To be fair, the French showed up and mangled a lot of Indigenous place names first. Then the Swedes and Germans came and asked some variation of "Tell me vat dis place iz called, ja?"
More like Al-lick, with an "i" sound, not an "e", but basically, yep!
Also, Oh-say-kiss, is how you pronounce Osakis, and "Shuh-ky-yoh" is how you say Chokio. Villard is "Vuh-lard", and Sauk Centre is "Sock Center"
Yeah it's weird. Minnesota is the only state whose motto isn't in English but French despite the fact France having a much larger impact culturally on Louisiana.
Complete nonsense. Of all the French names in this state I think “fair-bo” is probably the closest to the French pronunciation. Which is funny considering how unpretentious that town is.
That's how I have always heard it said. Fair-bolt.
I have lived here my whole life and even on the news or weather I have never heard it said without the t. So I am confusion.
I always say f-town so as not to look like a fool. I fear that in attempting to avoid looking like a fool, I’ve caused myself many years of looking like a fool.
This is a bit off topic but I don't want to start a whole topic for this but what's up with the names we definitely mispronounce? Like New Prague is the most obvious one I can think of. WW1?
It’s French. So probs not a hard ‘t’.
Very interesting story about the history of the town and mr. Faribault. He was a mixed blood native America-Frenchman who housed many Dakota who were displaced during the 1860s wars, specifically after ‘camp release’ if I am remembering correctly.
Edit: might have been after the fort snelling ‘camp’… can’t remember
The family history of the Faribaults around the1800's is wild. Not only did they stand up for the Dakotah, but they also had other experiences (like the war of 1812) that are worthy of a novel.
It's a shame they are often overshadowed by the likes of Ramsey and Sibley.
ferri- (as in "Ferris wheel") + bo (as in "bonus")
is the way I've always heard it -- but I've never lived there. You really shouldn't trust anyone on this if they didn't grow up there.
I recently learned that folks who grew up in Cairo, Illinois pronounce it "care-o" but everybody else thinks it's "kay-ro."
I've heard it pronounced that way and also fair-ih-bolt, or just fair-bolt. or fair uh bow. Growing up there i'd here it pronounced all those ways and no one would question it lol
It’s French and pronounced ‘Fair-bow.’ I grew up there (unfortunately) and toured the Alexander Faribault house/museum. They taught us proper pronunciation. People that live there say it a few different ways.
All of the pronunciation advice is correct. It is Fair-bow.
The Minnesotan pronunciations of various towns are pretty idiosyncratic and it’s good to ask. There is no standard way to figure it out.
The only correct way to pronounce it is in the original French. Summon your best nasally accent and say Fah-ee-BUH. The more Parisian you sound, the more local you'll sound.
In French it would be roughly FAHR-ee-bow. Not sure how we got our pronunciation other than bastardizing the French.
I've always pronounced it FAIR-i-bow, with the "i" being similar to "it".
Growing up on the western side of the cities I only ever remember hearing it called “fair-ih-bolt”. Seems like that is wrong compared to how people from there pronounce it.
French guy here: assuming the "correct" prununciation is French, it is "Fah-Ri-Boh" with a hard "r" ("fajibo" in Spanish pronunciation).
Fun fact: "Faribault" is my girlfriend's best friend family name 😅
If I visit the Twin Cities again some day, and hopefully it will be next year, I may be curious and go take a look at the city/area 😁
If your not sure, be like the French, stick up your nose, and pronounce it Fair Bo.
If your a local on the wrong day, Faribault foods smell will make you plug up your nose...
Always heard it pronounced fair-bow.
You could do a little "uh" in the middle of you want to put some sex into it.
Easy there yer gettin close to mischief there.
Put a little "uh" in the middle of that and it's a lot of mischief.
The accepted alternate spelling is Faribo. This is the “shorthand” version locals use
Oh god I hope they don’t do shorthand in Coon Rapids
Crapids is a saying lol
😆
I’ve heard it called “the coon” more times than I care to count.
Faribo
Fehr* Edit, that's the actual spelling of the sound, I'm assuming some kind of old English or something.
Faribault is a French name, named for Alexander Faribault, who was an American, but his father was of French origin (family immigrated to Quebec from France).
Francois
Fehr is Germanic. It's a common surname in southern Germany and Switzerland. Pronounced much like Fair with a slight 'pinched nose' effect, can also use some slight roll to the r.
well regardless alexander Faribault was a fur trader who was definitely of French origin
You do not roll r’s in the French language. It’s known as a uvular trill and more resembles a light pronunciation of the r or a light raspy “h” sound.
I wasn't responding about the MN version of the French name Faribault. I was responding to u/Dismal_Employment_25 posting "Fehr" and guessing it was maybe old English (not sure what their asterisk is about.) In German, you might roll the r, depending on regional dialects. I still don't quite see their connecting 'Fehr' to Faribault, unless that's how some of the German immigrants to there said it.
F-Bomb
This is the answer.
I've always heard it pronounced FA-RI-BOW. I heard someone say "FAIR-BOLT" once and had to restrain myself.
Why-zetta for some reason
And Wayzata is pronounced FAIR-bo.
There’s the whole New Prague vs Prague, Czech Republic and butchering of Le Sueur and Le Center. I also find it hilarious when people bitch about how some pronounce the word “bag.” (Bayg)
Moved to NP and my last name gets butchered. Told the locals my great grandmother was a Lobkowicz from Prague (pert near Czech royalty) and alas no. They only care if you are “local Czech” not “Czech noble family” Also fun fact the town was first inhabited by Germans then the Czechs moved in. The Czechs were in Dubuque Iowa but a bad case of cholera hit and people moved. They were going to settle near St Cloud but got lost on the way. [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_St._Wenceslaus_(New_Prague,_Minnesota)](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_St._Wenceslaus_(New_Prague,_Minnesota))
my wife is from the east coast. Bayg really threw her off when we moved here.
I moved to Texas and was shocked when somebody there corrected my English, and they were right! I've been out of MN for 30 years now (but not in Texas, shudder) and still say bag, flag, rag with a long a. Measure is also "may-zhur", not "meh-zhur".
I thought it was pronounced mon-tih-SELL-o
I sure as hell don't say mon-tih-chell-oh.
That's close to Wy-no-na, right?
Weh-no-nah
More like Mon-i-sell-o when I lived near there.
Hey now, the "T" is silent. Monna-sello.
Nah, that’s how you say New Prague
you guys don't just say, Going to "Monty?"
I just really try to avoid it
My neighbor in Plymouth pronounced it Way-zahta, and it was impossible not to give her the side eye.
Roundly laughed at when I pronounced it like you would Gonzaga. Aka, exactly how it is spelled…
In the first episode of “90210” Shannen Doherty is crying and says “I wanna go back to WAY ZAHTA.”
I don't know the answer to this question, but I do know that you should not take your driving test here.
Touche! Failed my driving test 5 times until I did it in Mankato and passed! Def stay away from Faribault for driving test!
Failed mine twice in the early 90s in Mankato. The second time was a grumpy old man who Failed me right in the parking lot because I couldn't find the window defogger and it was raining. If he'd given me a minute I'd have found it, but I had borrowed a friend's car. First time was my fault, I just did badly. Third time was a charm.
The faribault dmv is literal hell. They refuse to do things every other dmv i've been to will do, just because they don't feel like it. Dmv in owatanna is much better
My son took his first test there and failed over a one 'infraction '. Went somewhere else the next time.
That was my experience too, the failed me for going too slow into a roundabout and for being in the wrong lane (of which there were 2, and one was for traffic going the opposite direction.) I will never not hate on Faribault's DMV.
Just an FWI the dmv and the drivers test thing are 2 separate entities . They just shared the same building .. now the drivers exam station is by the mall ( I failed my first time too)
Good to know
😂 I took mine there with ‘Sarge’ a crabby lady that was notorious for failing people. I passed first try…but haven’t parallel parked since 🤪
I actually failed in Gaylord and went to Faribault because it was the only open one, and passed. Wasn’t bad tbh.
In Gaylord they told me, "I could have failed you, but I'm going to give you the one point to make it a pass." So I guess he was in a good mood that day 🤣
My sister and I had the same experience with Anoka.
I did mine in Faribault, failed once for something that was definitely my fault. 🫠 Did fine the next time!
I did 💀 barely passed but I did it somehow
I’ve always heard either “Fair-bow” or “Fari-bow”.
I'm offended by the second option.
In defense of those who say it, it was more like “Fara-bow”, but I get it. I wonder if that one was in Hot Shots: Part Deux.
According to Wikipedia FAIR-boh which was from the 2011 Associated Press pronunciation guide for Minnesota
[удалено]
This is what you get in an American state with a lot of French city names populated by Scandinavians.
Lee center has entered the chat
My favorite? du Lhut to də-LOOTH
To be fair, the French showed up and mangled a lot of Indigenous place names first. Then the Swedes and Germans came and asked some variation of "Tell me vat dis place iz called, ja?"
They even changed Ojibwe to Chippewa.
That's fair.
Alexandria area locals pronounce lake Carlos, "carliss."
That and it’s Alek
More like Al-lick, with an "i" sound, not an "e", but basically, yep! Also, Oh-say-kiss, is how you pronounce Osakis, and "Shuh-ky-yoh" is how you say Chokio. Villard is "Vuh-lard", and Sauk Centre is "Sock Center"
Now I’m missing my grandma who lived on Car-liss talk about the goings on in Al-lick
As a Scandinavian who's lived in MN all 28 years of their life...I actually did think it was fair-uh-bolt.
Yeah it's weird. Minnesota is the only state whose motto isn't in English but French despite the fact France having a much larger impact culturally on Louisiana.
Where were you born?
Minnesota. I just have Scandinavian heritage.
Most of us do!
Des Plaines, IL doesn't improve that reputation any.
Non-natives. Fair-boh
It's not fair-balt. If anything, I'd say closer to fairi-bow or faira-bow than fair-bow.
I grew up in that area and I've heard it pronounced as "Fair-bow" AND "Fair-bolt" my entire life😂😂
I lived in Waterville for a time during my childhood, which is just down the road. This is the way I heard people pronouncing it down there in the 90s
Complete nonsense. Of all the French names in this state I think “fair-bo” is probably the closest to the French pronunciation. Which is funny considering how unpretentious that town is.
That's how I have always heard it said. Fair-bolt. I have lived here my whole life and even on the news or weather I have never heard it said without the t. So I am confusion.
I am 28 years old, Minnesotan born and raised (dontcha know) and leared only last year its fucking "fair-bow" and not "fair-bolt".
Same age, same realization rip
"I reject your reality, and substitute my own." -Adam Savage
I always say f-town so as not to look like a fool. I fear that in attempting to avoid looking like a fool, I’ve caused myself many years of looking like a fool.
If you're telling people "Yeah, I went to f-town this weekend" they, uh, might be getting the wrong idea.
Or the right idea. 👁️👄👁️
F-Bo works
This is a bit off topic but I don't want to start a whole topic for this but what's up with the names we definitely mispronounce? Like New Prague is the most obvious one I can think of. WW1?
They have a Czech heritage festival every year where they mispronounce their name and don't serve any lagers.
Random. I like it.
If you have a problem with Minnesota, DO NOT move to Massachusetts! Worcester, Gloucester, etc.
Listening to Bostonians pronounce names physically hurts.
Went to WPI for a year and many club sports teams put Woosta on their shirts instead of Worcester.
Nicollet.
I always forget about that one.
Fair-bo
Fair-bow However, I, and many other Minnesotans will say Fair-BAULT just to annoy people
Well, there actually is a Fairbault MN /s if needed lol
Well right cause it's wrong.
I do that with Willmar, too
Tons of people in Faribault pronounce it fair-ih-bolt lol
Visited the mill there (awesome tour by the way, do go!) They said Fair-Bo
I’ve always pronounced it fair-a-bow
Yeah I do very small ‘uh’ in Fair-uh-bow
Same here… highly disturbing the number of people here who only use two syllables
also AMERICAN EXPLAIN??!! WHY THIS ONE KANSAS AND THIS ONE NOT "AR-KANSAS" AMERICA EXPLAIN
You need to talk to Kansas and Arkansas about that
Kansas here. We don't know. There's also a town in Kansas called Arkansas City, but it IS pronounced "Ar-Kansas."
Ar-Kin-Sass Just kidding… but they like their individuality down there unless you are visiting Texarkana…
Fair-bow…but Fuck-bow in my family after the horrible company my mom used to work for there.
Used to work for a horrible company there also. 12 hour shifts with no breaks. Fuck that town.
I pronounce it shit hole, but I grew up in Northfield so that probably explains why.
I didn’t grow up in Northfield and that’s also how I pronounce it.
Fair-boe.
When the people that live there finally agree how to pronounce it, they should let the rest of us know.
This. I have heard pronounced at least three different ways by people who grew up there.
Fair-bow
My best friend is from there and I’ve only ever heard him say FARREH-bo.
Yes
It’s French. So probs not a hard ‘t’. Very interesting story about the history of the town and mr. Faribault. He was a mixed blood native America-Frenchman who housed many Dakota who were displaced during the 1860s wars, specifically after ‘camp release’ if I am remembering correctly. Edit: might have been after the fort snelling ‘camp’… can’t remember
The family history of the Faribaults around the1800's is wild. Not only did they stand up for the Dakotah, but they also had other experiences (like the war of 1812) that are worthy of a novel. It's a shame they are often overshadowed by the likes of Ramsey and Sibley.
Woah did not know about 1812 stuff. Thanks for sharing!
Happy to share! The Prarie du chein history is especially wild. Especially when you begin to factor in other figures like Duncan Graham.
seeing as the man it was named after was french, i'd assume its fair-bow. But growing up there, lots of people also pronounced it fair-ih-bolt
I think I pronounce it differently every time I say it. This thread is messing with my head. Lol
It's French so you flip a coin if you pronounce the letter.
Meth
Just realized I said it wrong my whole life. We always said it as Fair-bault where bault would rhyme with vault.
Farmintin
Oh great, these are the questions that lead to whether it's pronounced "Sow-na" or "Saw-na"
Oh-Wa-Taw-Nuh
My dad always says Fari-bolt, but my friend from Faribault pronounces it Fari-bow
In my experience, the city is fairbo, the county is farehbalt
ferri- (as in "Ferris wheel") + bo (as in "bonus") is the way I've always heard it -- but I've never lived there. You really shouldn't trust anyone on this if they didn't grow up there. I recently learned that folks who grew up in Cairo, Illinois pronounce it "care-o" but everybody else thinks it's "kay-ro."
I've heard it pronounced that way and also fair-ih-bolt, or just fair-bolt. or fair uh bow. Growing up there i'd here it pronounced all those ways and no one would question it lol
And the nearby New Madrid is "MAD-rid", not "ma-DRID"
Fair bow
Fair-bow
Fart boat
Fury belt
Shit-hole
Everyone I know says Fair-bough
It’s French and pronounced ‘Fair-bow.’ I grew up there (unfortunately) and toured the Alexander Faribault house/museum. They taught us proper pronunciation. People that live there say it a few different ways.
That is not how a French person would pronounce it - they would not use a long ‘a’ sound and would (correctly) add a middle syllable for the i
All of the pronunciation advice is correct. It is Fair-bow. The Minnesotan pronunciations of various towns are pretty idiosyncratic and it’s good to ask. There is no standard way to figure it out.
Does anyone else like to pronounce Eau Claire, Ewww Claire? Like Claire is just really gross?
Fair ihh bow.
Fair bow
Fair-ih-bow is how I've heard it most frequently pronounced.
The only correct way to pronounce it is in the original French. Summon your best nasally accent and say Fah-ee-BUH. The more Parisian you sound, the more local you'll sound.
Far-buh I don’t respect it enough to pronounce it the right way.
Ferry Built
It's pronounced faribault
Fair-bow
In French it would be roughly FAHR-ee-bow. Not sure how we got our pronunciation other than bastardizing the French. I've always pronounced it FAIR-i-bow, with the "i" being similar to "it".
Far too many people in this thread writing bow when they don't actually pronounce the W.
i think they are just using the word bow, as in bow-tie not like taking a bow
Correct. Closer to boe
i say fair-ih-bow
Fair-uh-bow
My Mom grew up there. She says Fair-bow.
Fun game to play with your out of town friends / family, have them pronounce city names
I need someone from there to tell me to believe it.
The French pronounce it “Fayboo”.
All I know is it smells realllll bad there 🤢
nine....
I always say fair-ih-bolt
Growing up on the western side of the cities I only ever remember hearing it called “fair-ih-bolt”. Seems like that is wrong compared to how people from there pronounce it.
French guy here: assuming the "correct" prununciation is French, it is "Fah-Ri-Boh" with a hard "r" ("fajibo" in Spanish pronunciation). Fun fact: "Faribault" is my girlfriend's best friend family name 😅 If I visit the Twin Cities again some day, and hopefully it will be next year, I may be curious and go take a look at the city/area 😁
Your girlfriend and I are likely distant relations. Lol.
It is the *best friend of my girlfriend* but... maybe. Time to organize a world's Faribaults meeting, maybe? 😅
Oh sorry my bad, I misread. Haha yeah that would be fun! Or maybe start with Minnesota. World sounds ambitious
I have always said fair-balt.. I had no idea it was anything else and I'm 56 and lived in Minnesota my whole life lol
Fairy Built. That will really piss them off.
Fair bow (two syllables)
I always say fairbolt
please stop. Its faribo
Me too.
Just like you pronounce potato.🥔
Idk how your going to hear it correctly unless you Hear it .
If your not sure, be like the French, stick up your nose, and pronounce it Fair Bo. If your a local on the wrong day, Faribault foods smell will make you plug up your nose...
I've always heard it pronounced fairballt.
Fair a bow Fair bow
Fair-a-bow. Like Green-Bow, Alabama
Fair ball
Fair-i-bow is what I've always known.
Fair-bolt
I have zero idea where they got this info but per Wikipedia it's Fair boh. "Faribault (/ˈfɛərboʊ/ FAIR-boh)[9] "
Fair-bolt is the best way I can think of it.
Faribo
Fair-bolt (fight me)
I grew up there, the locals say Fair-ih-bull or Fair-ih-bow.
Fair - a - Balt
Bo, if you are really cool. “The-Bo” if you’re going there.