Sylvie, Alys, Frances

[anewmotivatedme]

We already have a Lauren. It wasn't either of our favourite names, but the only name we could agree on. We have grown to love the name.

We have our boys name, but once again, we are struggling with girls.

We have three names:

Sylvie - too French? DH is worried she'll always be saying Sylvie not Sylvia. I love the name, DH can live with it.

Alys - DH loves this name. I can live with it. It has to be the welsh spelling. My husband is welsh.

Frances - our only classic name, but we both quite like it. DH worries its a bit posh/ old fashioned. He's an inverted snob.

Which is your favourites? We have been through the names books, and have only managed to come up with three names, we could both live with, but we're doing better than last time.

Thank you!

Doctordwt - thanks for this. We've been through every girls page of the baby names book. Of the names you have mentioned we have debated Seren and Nia lots, as DH loves, but I don't. There are also the name associations DH (and I, but not so much) have, with lots of very nice names. Then there are the names friends have used for their DC. It sounds ridiculous, but we're down to three very different names.

With our first DD we only had one name, which we had from before I was pregnant, and was used by our best friend a month before DD was born. We ended up going for the only name we could agree on. I do like the name we agreed on.

I think its going to be Alys. My name's two syllables and never been shortened, so don't think its a problem.

Oooo, but I still like Sylvie. I think we're going to have to wait till DD (or DS) is born.

I love the name Sylvie and have done for a long time; I wanted to call my daughter this 15 years ago but didn't have the courage.

However, I did actually call her Frances - which we don't shorten to Frankie or Fran (rather staid?) but Nancy.

I also like your idea of Alys - though hadn't considered this one myself! They are all lovely names and you can't go wrong with any of them.

I love Alys.

All your names are nice. Frances is a bit old-fashioned but has never been so very popular that it has a particular age. My next door neighbour is Frances and, though she is old-fashioned, posh she is not!

Oh Blueberry, we must think quite alike.

Yes, my names two syllables, there is a common shortening, but never been used. I do think Frances is a beautiful name. I have always liked it.

I thought this friend, might help us decide. But it hasn't.

thread not friend even

Hmm. My DH has gone off the name Sylvie. I've gone off Frances.

Leaving us with Alys. But not completely in love with the name. I preferred Sylvie.

I did not love Lauren at the time, but we couldn't agree on any others, and so compromised. Naturally I love the name now.

Does anybody else have this problem?

We have a boys name, we are completely in love with. We just cannot find the girls name, we both love.

Do you live in/near Wales? Alys might be a bit of a pain if you don't, she'll have to keep correcting the spelling.

I like all your names! Why not wait and see what she looks like? I know a very cool Frances who is generally known as Fran, really suits her (she is late 20s), I also know a lovely Frances in her 50s and a very sweet Miss Marple type octegenarian one!

We are the other way round, girl's names no problem, we like loads, but we don't like any boy's names and our baby's a boy!

We both love our DC1's name and want the same for DC2, not a name that's "well, Mummy hated it but couldn't think of anything better and Daddy really liked it."

We live in North Wales so the spelling is not the issue.

I just don't know. I'm getting tired of dicussing girls names. We've been through every page of the name book.

We've debated loads of girls names, and Alys is the one that keeps coming out on top.

I lie all of them, but Frances is the most quirky yet classic.

Alys is OK, pretty, a bit dull

Sylvie is lovely, but getting very popular (in London, at least)

Keep in mind that you can spell Alys as Alis in Welsh too. :)

I love Frances.

I really like them all but Sylvie is my favourite.

Love Frances! What a great name idea, not out there but she's still likely to be a one off in her class. In fact I think it's definitely due for a revival maybe you could kick it off. Don't think it's at all 70s/80s, I'm a 70s vintage and have never met a single one my age. And if you like an 'ee' ending she could be Frannie as nn.

Like Alys, I like the name Alice anyway and as you say since you're in Wales the spelling won't be too much of an issue and even if it is it won't take her long to spell out a 4 letter name over the phone so I don't see it as a problem.

Sylvie really not keen. Have seen this name many times on here in the last few weeks. Seems it's going to become very popular, has a little too much of the cutsie factor for me while still being old fashioned but not in a good way.

Alys is gorgeous and I think nicer than either of the others.

I love Frances. I have been trying to convince DH to call our baby Frances if it is a girl (am nearly 40 weeks) but he's not keen. I have an aunt called Frances (she's in her 70s) and a friend called Frances (she's in her 30s). Neither has ever been anything other than 'Frances'. I absolutely love it.

Since you're in Wales, Alys would be lovely! You'll know if she's an Alys when you see her :)

SYLVIE SYLVIE SYLVIE. I know a baby Sylvie and it is so beautiful - nobody has said 'Sylvia?' at all. There's a Sylvie in the book One Day, though that might put you off (!)

It is a stunning name and my friend has only had really positive reactions to it. I suppose you could call it old lady chic but it's just so pretty and it really works on her baby.

We called our daughter Sylvie partly because we hadn't met any others (it was a few years ago) as well as liking it a lot obvs, and now am pissed off its getting popular. Should have stuck with pre-birth name of 'Bulge' as I haven't seen any of them in the playground.....

Love all of these names - on ours too. Apart from Frances, which is one of my middle names. It's a fabulous name - cute and I think quite old school Hollywood too (think Frances Farmer).

Go Frances!

Well we called DD Ava in the end, with Frances as a middle name. We knew Ava was popular, but it just felt right. It suits our surname, and DD’s strong personality. I still wonder about Alys, as its such a beautiful name, but I went off it at the end of pregnancy. Not sure if it was the hormones. When I called the bump Ava it felt right, when I called bump Alys it didn’t. She was kicking too much to be an Alys. I thought Alys was too sweet a name for her. I had a feeling she would be fiesty, and Ava seemed a more suitable name.