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Baby names

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Original poster

Sidwell (girl's name)

64 replies

KathDayKnight50 · 03/10/2018 17:59

Found this name in a Victorian novel and think it's really pretty.

I don't have a baby to name.

What do others think of it?

Just interested.

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Bridgetwithoutthejones · 03/10/2018 19:02

As others have said just sounds like a run down area. So unfeminine and ugly to my ears

Flooffloof · 03/10/2018 19:03

I love it.
Damn shame I won't be having any more children.

Howtodeal · 03/10/2018 19:04

It's my friends surname. Sidwell Sidwell!

PiperPublickOccurrences · 03/10/2018 19:07

Mixture of Chigwell and Sidcup.

worstmotherintheworld · 03/10/2018 19:08

I don't like it, it sounds very masculine if it's a name at all.

Hippopotas · 03/10/2018 19:09

Nope

tartanscot · 03/10/2018 19:13

Awful, sorry!

TheDowagerCuntess · 03/10/2018 19:29

I don't hate it.

And on the right sort of girl, it could be fabulous.

BikeRunSki · 03/10/2018 19:30

It sounds like it should be a suburb of London

That’s exactly what I thought. South London.

CaseStudyResearch · 03/10/2018 19:32

Ha Ruffles, my first though was also Steve Grin

campion · 03/10/2018 19:32

Are you Mrs Rees-Mogg?

Aprilislonggone · 03/10/2018 19:33

Nn Welly??
Grin

whatausername · 03/10/2018 19:35

Just wait until high school, "I bet she'd sidwell on a c**k"...she'd be rather open to a lot of tasteless jokes.

Glumglowworm · 03/10/2018 20:38

Awful

Sophronia · 03/10/2018 23:55

Sidonie is much nicer.

Original poster
KathDayKnight50 · 04/10/2018 08:59

Just wait until high school, "I bet she'd sidwell on a ck"...she'd be rather open to a lot of tasteless jokes

[grin} Wow, that never even occurred to me and I have a dirty mind!

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Original poster
KathDayKnight50 · 04/10/2018 09:00

In the book, Sidwell is better than her sister's name - Fanny!

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Original poster
KathDayKnight50 · 04/10/2018 09:51

In the book, Sidwell is an upper-class girl, very well-educated, and she knows her own mind. She turns down a suitor she had fallen in love with because he lied to her and her family. She has principles and despite getting quite old to find a husband (in Victorian terms), she will not compromise. I admired her for that.

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daisypond · 04/10/2018 10:39

Well, I like it. It's the name of a saint, so it has provenance, and it's unusual. I think it sounds nice too - strong and not cutesy. I know the George Gissing character too - she's a good heroine.

Original poster
KathDayKnight50 · 04/10/2018 10:52

I know what you mean daisypond.

I have read the book several times and the name no longer strikes me as strange. I have come to rather like it.

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Original poster
KathDayKnight50 · 04/10/2018 10:53

Glad to have found another Gissing fan! I love Victorian novels in general, but have really got into Gissing the last few years.

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Rebellia · 04/10/2018 11:07

Makes me think of Sidwell Friends - the elite Quaker private school in DC that Obama sent his daughters to

bitheby · 04/10/2018 12:32

I don't mind it. I'd prefer to be called that, nn Sid, than what I'm actually called (traditional female name).

florascotia2 · 04/10/2018 12:59

This site (below) says that Sidwell is an English version of an older British name, Sadfyl. I don't know how accurate the site is or how to pronounce the name. Perhaps Welsh-speakers could help?
catholicsaints.info/tag/name-sadfyl/

I don't mind Sidwell. Might be good to have a couple of different-style middle names, however, to give flexibility.

Original poster
KathDayKnight50 · 04/10/2018 13:48

Thanks for all the further information on the name everyone - so interesting.

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