Where does the 'shotgun wedding' come from?
In short
A shotgun wedding is a marriage arranged in haste because the bride is pregnant. The phrase is American: Etymonline records it from 1903, and Merriam-Webster dates the pregnancy sense to 1929. The practice is far older; historians have found that a high proportion of English brides from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century were already pregnant.
What the full article will cover
- What does 'shotgun wedding' mean?
- Where and when did the phrase appear?
- How common were pregnant brides in English history?
- Why did families push couples to marry?
- Is the shotgun wedding disappearing in Britain?
Frequently asked questions
- Is a shotgun wedding always about pregnancy?
- What did British English say before 'shotgun wedding'?
- How many UK births are now outside marriage?
- What is a 'shotgun merger'?
Sources
- etymonline.com — https://www.etymonline.com/word/shotgun
- merriam-webster.com — https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shotgun%20wedding
- bsa.natcen.ac.uk — https://www.bsa.natcen.ac.uk/latest-report/british-social-attitudes-30/personal-relationships/introduction.aspx
- ons.gov.uk — https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/livebirths/bulletins/birthcharacteristicsinenglandandwales/2022
General information, not legal or religious advice.