What do you think o fSylvia as a girl's name?

[mosaica]

Hi,

I am pregnant with a baby girl and I am considering the name Sylvia for her. I am not British and one of the reasons I like this name is because it also sounds great in my language. But when my husband told our next door neighbour this was the name we had in mind, she bursted out laughing, I think she thought we were joking...

Is this perhaps a hideous name in English? I know how all names have connotations and in my language it sounds lovely. I know it sounds a bit old-fashioned in English, but I thought it was in a good way?

Please be honest, do say it is horrible if that's the case. I don't want my little girl to be picked on at school!

Thanks.

It's a lovely name, and one of the group which is just coming back into fashion now - think Jean, Maude, Ruby, Pearl. So to someone on their 50s it sounds like a granny name! That's why she will have laughed. If you wanted something a little more unusual without any age connotation, go for Sylvie (I actually prefer that)

I like Sylvia: a very lovely, elegant woman called Sylvia once helped me out when I went into labour with DC2: I wasn't due for weeks and I had just pulled up in a motorway service station on my own, in the middle of nowhere. She seemed to have a weird intuition as to what was happening and asked me if I was OK and then dropped everything to help me. So for me the name has angelic qualities.

I like Sylvia and love, love, love Sylvie - somehow seems much softer and feminine.

It's lovely

I like Sylvie too

I think it is lovely and would have liked it for dd (dh didn't like). I think Sylvia is an good, strong, elegant name for a grown up, and also like the shortening Sylvie for a little girl.

I love it. It doesn't have any funny connotations as far as I can think of!

I think it could well be a name that is ready for a come-back. And it's lovely.

It's lovely. Sylvie is pretty but a little frilly - I much prefer Sylvia.

It's lovely. It's one of the names I considered for DD, but DP didn't like it.

I too had a dinner lady with that name when I was younger, both at primary and secondary school lol. She was a nasty horrible fat lady with a bald head... abit like the teacher in Matilda.. only bald.

I had a lovely great aunt called Sylvia. I like it very much.

Pluckingupcourage: sorry to hijack, but what happened? Did you have the baby at the services?

What a mean reaction!

I think it is a bit in the 60-70 year olds age category, which is the next due a revival.

You'll be setting a trend

plantsitter no, the lovely Sylvia calmed me down and called an ambulance and then followed me to the hospital, she kept trying to reach my DH, then when he arrived, she made a quiet exit. She went completely out of her way. We send each other Christmas cards still and she's met DS2. Unfortunately as I have a male household I haven't been able to use the name.

Lovely, elegant name. I know Sylvias from my mum's generation, from mine and from the DCs' generation, three in all. Unusual but really nice imo.

I think it is lovely, agree with those upthread that it's due a revival, next generation on from all the Esme/Rose/Martha etc names that are popular (but not too popular!) right now.

I don't have negative dinner lady etc connotations but I am also now singing Sylvia's Mother by Dr Hook.

It's a beauty of a name. I love it.

I think it's beautiful and would use it if only I could persuade DP.

(I did have a dinner lady called Sylvia but she was nice)

Also a lovely great-aunt. And I knew a lovely hippy called Silva years ago, which I liked.

Love it! Look up Sylvia Pankhurst = great woman

I also like the Italian spelling, Silvia.

Silvina is a nice variation too.

Beautiful, in all variations, and it works in many languages.

I think the name Sylvia is lovely. I know an elderly lady called that. I hope it has a revival.

I love Sylvia, its on my list :D

How rude of your neighbour! Don't base your choice on the reaction of a narrow minded acquaintance. It's lovely btw.

Sylvia is very pretty imo!