French speakers: is Sylvie really bad?

[Eleanor90]

We love Sylvie for DD coming in a few months, but have heard that it’s considered really naff and dated in France. Is this true? Or is it more of a neglected classic, like Sylvia here?

We’re not French but DD will have French-speaking cousins and extended family, so want it to work reasonably well in both.

TIA

I love it! HTH

Not necessarily, it's just not "a la mode" at the moment over here, I think it was possibly a 60s name. If you like it bring it back! It's not naff.

I don’t know if any under the age of 40, but I don’t think that makes it a bad name...

Not French but like it a lot; I know one in her thirties who is lovely.

Not naff but certainly dated.

Would it be the French equivalent of Barbara or Susan?

Or Karen or Deborah?

Or Emma, Claire or Sarah?

I'm curious

It's very dated. The youngest one I know is early fifties and loathes it.

Here you go, hit its peak in the early sixties: dataaddict.fr/prenoms/#sylvie-f

I know several Sylvies, they are all in their forties. It would be unusual to meet a baby Sylvie but if you like it why not?

I love it, as pp have said it’s a little dated over here but so is Florence and that is super popular in the UK.

But there appear now to be plenty of baby Ethils and Enids and Esthers. Which, for an old git like me, are major pearl clutching old lady names.

Love it

Thanks all. I’m probably overthinking things, we don’t even see these relatives all that often, though they are close family so I don’t want them to be horrified at our choice!

Would you say Sylvie feels dated more in a Sharon (very tied to one era) or Sarah (classic but not currently very popular) or Sybil (vintage) way?

If soon to be ds suddenly popped out as a dd he'd 100% be a Sylvie. You must use it as I'll never get to now. I absolutely love it 😍 definitely more a Sybil than a Sharon IMO

I know a little sylvie! She's 6 now

It’s kind of Barbara/Deborah/Susan.

There are so many beautiful French girl’s names - Manon, Capucine, Apolline, Anaïs, Inès, Romane, Maëlys, Sigolène, Clémence.... Sylvie is comparatively drab.

More dated than vintage.

To my British ear it sounds lovely, and makes me think of the incredible Sylvie Guillem.

Does it matter that much how it'll work in France/French if you're not in France yourselves? I know you said you have French-speaking family, but YOU'RE the immediate family.

Relatives can like or dislike their family's names for many reasons; you can't legislate for everything. Call her whatever you like!

I think more vintage than dated. It's a beautiful name!

If you look at the graph I posted upthread you'll see it's really tied to a specific vintage - women born in the early 60s whose parents were fans of Johnny Hallyday and Sylvie Vartan.

Thanks LaDaronne, looks like quite the popularity spike! So maybe more of a Sharon or Tracy then

My 8 year old niece is called sylvie 😊

I have one, aged 2 and we absolutely adore it. Pretty but has some sass I think. If any French relatives sniff about it, remind them of the wonderful Sylvie Guillem, who is still at almost 50 a dancer, and also an activist.