When I was younger, my friends and I would always go to Godiva and taste their chocolate flavors of the month. Although that tradition may have stopped, my love for chocolate hasn’t. Godiva has always been super popular, and with Valentine’s Day having just passed, I’m sure it’s been even busier than usual this past month. One of the many go-to stores for a box of chocolates, Godiva sells a variety of chocolate-covered treats that are all so pretty. Godiva can make a great gift, but when you go to the store are you going to “goh-dai-va” or “goh-dee-va?!” Here’s how to properly pronounce Godiva.
A Brief History
Godiva began as a praline-making business in Brussels, Belgium by the Draps family. It was originally called “Chocolaterie Draps.” One of its first stores was just a small stand in the Grand Place in Brussels. Over time, the family changed the name of the company to Godiva, after the legend of Lady Godiva. Supposedly, Lady Godiva rode unclothed through the streets of Coventry to ask her husband to lower taxes. She was celebrated in Europe for many years and thus, Joseph Draps re-named his company after her.
In 1966, the Campbell Soup Company, an American corporation, acquired one-third of a stake in Godiva and were subsequently the first to introduce this type of chocolate to America. In 1968, Godiva Chocolatier began production in America, and used their Belgian recipes.
How to Pronounce Godiva
So how are we really supposed to pronounce Godiva? Most people in the United States say “go-dai-va.” If you’re from Belgium, however, most people say “goh-dee-va.” Godiva representatives consider both to be acceptable, so it really just depends on where you’re from and which way you prefer to say it. For a second opinion I checked out a YouTube video pronouncing it— they side with the U.S. version.
This is the way my friends and I have always said “Godiva” ever since we were young. After researching it, I’ve found that this pronunciation is correct and widely accepted by not only people from the US, but Godiva officials too. So the next time you walk into the store to buy chocolates and you aren’t sure what to say, technically it does not matter, but “go-dai-va” is the most common choice of pronunciation.