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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Weird or Pretty?

68 replies

WishesForSunshine · 26/12/2015 00:00

Really contemplating 'Silver' for DC3, not sure of spelling - Silver, Sylva or Silva?

Is it pretty and unusual or just weird and therefore setting DD up for lifetime of teasing/judgement?

OP posts:
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pinkpopcorn · 27/12/2015 08:13

I really like Silver

DinosaursRoar · 27/12/2015 08:28

If you spell it Silva, she will spend a lot of her life on the phone to call centres correcting things sent to Silvia/Sylvia. Spelling it Silver does give her the chance to say "like the metal" or "as in second place" when someone asks her.

People with well known names with standard spellings often underestimate just how irritating it is to never have your name spelt right, or have to constantly correct it to businesses /banks/ colleagues. If you have a normal name, it might happen once or twice, and assume it's not annoying, but when it's constant it's very annoying.

bittapitta · 27/12/2015 09:55

Every time she introduces herself, especially in a professional context, people will assume she means to say "Sylvia". Please don't do that to her.

mapmyface · 27/12/2015 10:09

We met a young silva on holiday once, she has bright blonde hair and it really suited her, her younger sister had a really normal name like Alice which seemed odd though

TwistInMySobriety · 27/12/2015 22:29

Sylvère is a normal, i rareish, boy's name across the channel.

TattieHowkerz · 30/12/2015 10:19

In a lot of accents (including all Scottish) Silver and Silva/Sylva are quite different, as Silver has an "r" at the end. You might want to take that into consideration. I don't like Silver, but Silva is OK.

smileyforest · 01/01/2016 09:50

My grand daughter is called Silver-Primrose. I think it's a gorgeous name but then I'm bias.....

emilybrontescorset · 01/01/2016 10:30

Does it go with your surname?

Don't use it if your surname is a thing. For example Tree or Broom.

Otherwise go for it.
Do spell it correctly though.

Pidapie · 01/01/2016 10:38

I have a friend called Sylvia :) nice name

mrsjskelton · 01/01/2016 11:04

Sorry but as an adult if that was my name I'd have changed it. As an employer I'd be wary of it on a CV!

TheOptimisticPessimist · 01/01/2016 11:17

I actually don't think it'll get confused with Sylvia. Outside the mumsnet bubble I don't know of a single Sylvia or Sylvie (both of which I adore anyway). A lot of people do still consider them old lady names rather than knowing they've had a new lease of life with this generation. But I do agree that they're close enough that she could use one instead if she finds Silver too out there growing up.

I do think 90210 when I hear Silver, but it's one of my guilty pleasure names. I really like it even though I'm not usually a fan of names that are too out there. I do think you have to be fairly cool to pull it off though.

TheSecondViola · 01/01/2016 13:19

No. Awful. In the "why would you do that to the poor child" category for me.

WishesForSunshine · 02/01/2016 21:49

Thanks everyone :) I still love it... Just hope it's not the crazy pregnancy hormones as it wasn't even on my list for first two DC!

OP posts:
Dido2015 · 02/01/2016 21:54

You know when you see a word written so many times it starts to sound strange? I've just got that with silver.

Personally I wouldn't use it as a name - it's a bit out there.

Arian / Ariana is Welsh for silver, I think they are prettier.

SmallLegsOrSmallEggs · 02/01/2016 21:55

Silva/sylvia are related to tree not to metal. It means from the forest. So if the colour/metal is important rather than the sound of it then Silver.

But maybe a more common middle name just on case you change your mind once the hormones wear off Wink

SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 02/01/2016 22:03

I quite like Silver TBH! I think Sylvie would be a better (safer) option for a DD however.

timelytess · 02/01/2016 22:12

Pretty, every time. I would never call a child Weird.
Oh, I see what you mean.
No, Silver is a silly name. It belongs to the Lone Ranger's horse.

Snowball789 · 03/01/2016 19:37

I was just looking into Sylvain for my own boys list and found two Silvers in our Channel Islands online church records - Silver Edmond Strickland Davis born 1871 and Silver Raulin Davis born 1880. So it is actually an old name! And unisex. I think it would work for child and adult - go for it!

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