Esmerelda,Sybilla or Sylvia?

[Puffykins]

Sybilla is my favourite, Esmerelda DH's, Sylvia we both like though not as much as the others.

Esmeralda is pretty awful tbh. I have a sneaking liking for Emerald though.... Of the others - Sylvia is pretty and quite popular now together with Sylvie. I think Sybilla is the best actually - pretty and unusual.

If we go with Esmerelda, we'd call her Esme. The full Esmerelda is a bit much, I know, but DH OBSESSED.

Well as Twilight is very much a hit at the moment and there's an Esme therein it would be a very contemporary name....think it's a pretty name actually but is there a risk that it might catch on and in a few years time there will be lots of Esmes around - popular culture tends to do this to names don't you think?

I actually really like Esmerelda, its unusual without being too out there

Sylvia is nice :)

Sybilla sounds too similar to Cedilla to me! How about Sybil? I think the emphasis on Syb sounds nicer than the emphasis on Bill, which you'd get with Sy-BILL-a.

Don't like Esmerelda at all.

Esmerelda! I love it.

I'd spell it Esmeralda. Esmerelda looks odd.

Sylvia.

I'd go with Sylvia myself. Esme is fine - wouldn't worry about the Twilight references. I can't help but think of a hunchback with Esmeralda - even though this wasn't actually her.... Sybilla isn't as nice as Sybil IMO because of the emphasis on BILL.

Sylvia is the best of a bad bunch IMHO - sorry!

Oh I think Esme is lovely though

I love Esmerelda. As you say, Esme is lovely but you could also call her Zelda, Essy, Mel etc.. lots of options.

I also like Sylvia but not loving Sybilla - it just doesn't sound right to my ears but that is just my opinion, if you love it then go for it!

I like the name Sylvia very much. It is a pretty name and very timeless and classic in my opinion anyway. I think Esmerelda is pretty awful tbh. But it's always a matter of opinon. Not keen on Sybilla either.

Sybilla is a little too close to sibilant for me, tbh. I like Sylvia better than Esmerelda (the bells!).

Esme is already very trendy, has been for a few years.

Ineffective vampire, syphillus and... okay. I think you can pull off Sylvia. (Sorry)

Sybilla has never sounded like an actual name to me, which although it sounds nice, does put me off. The others are IMO awful, sorry.

Thank you for all your responses - hmmm - I knew that our choices weren't necessarily popular favourites . . . .

Okay re Sybilla - I've always loved it because of Kind Hearts and Coronets - although it's spelt Sybilla, it can be pronounced Sybella, if anyone thinks that is prettier. (Sybil, which I love too, wouldn't work with our surname.)

Drusilla has just been added to our list incidentally, if anyone has an opinion on that . . . .

Thank you all again.

Drusilla....hmmmm( thinks carefully) It could work, inspite of the Gothic horror feel. Would be called Dru or Cilla by friends... I think it would tend to be shortened as it doesn't flow as easily as other three syllable names.

I thought it could be abbreviated to Drusie, maybe, which I thought was quite sweet?

I like Sybilla, it makes me think of an old black and white film, kind hearts and coronets.

Oops just realised you too are an Ealing studios fan :) It's a lovely name.

First, congratulations!

Secondly, my thoughts: Sybilla and Sylvia are perfectly usable names although neither is to my taste, as I think neither is quite ready for a comeback. If you like them, they are sensible choices and will not open your daughter to ridicule.

Esmerelda/Esmeralda, on the other hand, is just an absurd choice thanks to The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Drusilla might be ready for a comeback but I'm not convinced.

Sylvia, of your 4, would be my choice.

Being really harsh here but sorry I just can't stop myself.

I think any of the 3 names would be perfectly fine if you were giving birth to a 50 yr old spinster...

I'm sorry for being so rude, but I have never felt so strongly before about names for other peoples children....

Sylvia