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Baby names

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

Florence or Sylvie?

35 replies

Helppickaname1234567 · 21/12/2025 07:22

Struggling to pick between the two - please help us decide! Have added names to poll below. Thank you

OP posts:
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Eenameenadeeka · 21/12/2025 07:40

I love Florence! So pretty.

onlyoneoftheregimentinstep · 21/12/2025 08:17

Are these both with the French pronunciation? If so Florence will be forever correcting people, whereas Sylvie is very similar in English and French.

AddictedToTea · 21/12/2025 08:19

Sylvie. There are four Florence’s in my DC’s class. Beautiful name but very popular!

RumbleHoney · 21/12/2025 08:20

I voted Sylvie as less popular, beautiful name

CocoPlum · 21/12/2025 08:21

I adore the name Sylvie. I meet a lot of new babies in my role and I don't remember meeting any, maybe one?? But Florence is incredibly popular, has been for years.

choccyfountain · 21/12/2025 08:25

I vote Florence I think it fits both older and modern. I think Sylvie is still a lovely name but not sure how it'd go down when she's a bit older. My sister is called Elizabeth and even that she thinks is way too old of a name compared so has always called herself Lily she hates when people call her Elizabeth. Just an honest opinion x

bananatree999 · 21/12/2025 08:29

Florence! Sylvie is going a bit mad at the moment from what I see in my social media circles (TikTok and Reddit).

lepoissonM · 21/12/2025 08:44

Are you in France or the UK? Because in France Sylvie is like Karen is for Brits… I love the name but it doesn’t have the most flattering of connotations in France…

5dollah · 21/12/2025 09:17

Sylvie is nice

Helppickaname1234567 · 21/12/2025 10:24

Thanks so much for your responses and comments - it’s really helpful.

We love both names and really struggling to decide. Any other suggestions very welcome! (We live in the UK)

OP posts:
luckylavender · 21/12/2025 10:30

Florence

Avantiagain · 21/12/2025 10:40

I like both but I think Florence can be pronounced in a way that doesn't sound nice so I would go for Sylvie.

RuthW · 21/12/2025 10:50

Don’t like Sylvie as a full name but love Sylvia.

I have an adult Florence, which was unheard of 30 years ago.

sprigatito · 21/12/2025 10:51

I voted for Florence, but I was really torn! They’re both adorable.

DuchessOfNarcissex · 21/12/2025 13:16

Sylvia is not nice. Sylvie is ok but it's a French 60-something woman's name.

2chocolateoranges · 21/12/2025 13:18

I know a Sylvie and a Florence (I work in early years) and I love Sylvie and the shortened versions her friends and family call her , such as Sylv and also Vee.

however I don’t like Flo and as they grow Florence will get shortened .

Pranksters · 21/12/2025 13:21

Sylvie. Because I don’t like Florence and it’s just so popular.

Comedycook · 21/12/2025 13:23

Sylvie is just gorgeous... feminine and glam without being twee

Florence is too popular imo

Roaminginthegloaming · 21/12/2025 13:26

My late granny was born in about 1911 and her name was Florence. I wish I’d named my (now adult) daughter that name.

Nobody ever called her Flo. If they did shorten it, the name was always Florrie - which I also like.

BoleynMemories13 · 21/12/2025 13:27

I prefer Florence. Who cares if it's more much more popular than Sylvie? There's a reason for that, more people think it's much nicer!

winnerwinnertofudinner · 21/12/2025 14:11

Very biased, but I have a little Sylvie! I think it's very sweet, and you don't meet many but it is getting more popular I think.

I'm a big fan of Florence also, love those pretty, slightly more mature names for little girls.

Other names we liked were Leila, Eleanor, and Elsie. I'm also a big fan of Noelle but it felt wrong to use for a baby not born in winter somehow!

I'm invested now - would love to know which way you sway in the end!

MolkosTeenageAngst · 21/12/2025 14:12

Sylvie. Florence is very overused, at least in my area. I know lots of babies and toddlers called Florence but never met a Sylvie.

Alexandrine · 21/12/2025 16:16

Sylvie. I’m not usually keen on “ee” ending names as they can sound a bit cute - but Sylvie is just so pretty. I don’t dislike Florence and being Top 10, it will be fun for her to find stuff with her name on easily, but it’s definitely Sylvie for me.

Meadowflower2023 · 21/12/2025 22:23

I know a Florrie - a mix of your two choices.
Florence is very popular right now.

bridgetreilly · 21/12/2025 22:44

I much prefer Sylvia to Sylvie, but I like Florence better than either.

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