Olivia Wilde recently highlighted a common mispronunciation of her last name, Cockburn, during an appearance on Dax Shepard's podcast. Wilde, whose first name is Olivia Cockburn, expressed amusement that many people are unaware of her surname's actual pronunciation.
Wilde, an actress and filmmaker, has used her mother's maiden name professionally. Her father is journalist and documentary filmmaker Christopher Cockburn. The family name has Scottish origins.
She explained on the "Armchair Expert" podcast that the pronunciation is "CO-burn," with the emphasis on the first syllable and the "ck" being silent, rather than "Cok-burn" as it is often mispronounced. She acknowledged that without prior knowledge, it would be difficult for someone to guess the correct pronunciation. Wilde has previously discussed her family name, noting its historical significance and the challenges associated with its pronunciation.