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Baby names

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

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Original poster

ok... our 3 fave girls names... open for critique by you honest (savage?!) Mumsnetters!!!

46 replies

beaniepix · 24/03/2009 18:09

DH and I settled on our fave boys name about 2 years ago, but choosing a girls name has been a MUCH longer / more difficult process. We LOVE Isabelle and Lucy, but Isabelle is dreadful with our surname (which ends in -ell) and my sister is called Lucy. We APPEAR to have finally settled on 3 favourite names that we both agree on... but there isn't one which particularly leaps out at me. Still 26 weeks to go and we don't know if it's a boy or a girl but and I thought I would throw it out there for your opinions!

Our list is :

Anna
Sylvia / Sylvie
Niamh (pron. like Eve but with N!)

My concerns with each are: Niamh - obvious lifetime of mis-pronounced and mis-spelt name, Anna is so sweet but been around a lot for a long time - it is individual/special enough; and is Sylvia... can't explain this one... is it huggable enough - I think I still think of it as an older person't name...

Would LOVE other people's points of view!

Also... my Granny had daugher called Sylvia who died aged 6 months (Spina bifida I think). There is a lovely photo of my Mum aged around 9 holding Sylvia. Is it lovely to use a name that has meaning in the family, or a terrible omen to name a daughter after a baby who died? I'm not superstitious and think it's silly to attach meaning to this, but still can't help but want all the positive luck for our baby...

OP posts:

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Wheelybug · 24/03/2009 18:16

I love all the names (although prefer Sylvie to sylvia). I have an Anna and it was DH's choice and I had the same feeling about hte name when we were considering it as you. As it is, once dd1 became Anna the name became special as it was 'her' if that makes sense. Also, I love it because you don't actually meet many.

We considered Niamh for dd2 so we obviously have the same taste in names !

Peachy · 24/03/2009 18:17

They are all lovely names. I would ask your Mum about Sylvia (or Sylvie if you ant something a bit more huggable?)- if I ahd ever had a girl i'd have named her after my best friend who died at 16, OTOH had I called her after my cousin who also died my Uncle would have been very upset by it all.

A friend has a Nimah, and I don't think she has problems; there are a few famous ones these days, I think most people would have come across it now.

Anna is always a winner

Wheelybug · 24/03/2009 18:17

BTW - I wouldn't see using the name Sylvia/Sylvie as an omen. Is your Granny still around ? What does she think ?

slowreadingprogress · 24/03/2009 18:28

Sylvie - pretty and ethereal

Anna - beautiful, stylish and strong

Niamh I'm just not so keen on, don't find it an attractive name!

is your dd going to be pretty, delicate and Sylvie-ish or is she going to be stylish and strong like Anna?!?!

ScummyMummy · 24/03/2009 18:31

Anna is a great name.

Irrationally I would avoid Sylvie/Sylvia with your sad family connection. I am completely craply superstitious when pregnant though...

I would also avoid Niamh unless you're in Ireland or somewhere else where the vast majority of people will know how to pronounce it. Don't underestimate the stupidity of the English- even though I know it's pronounced Neeve I have to think about it intellectually every single time and get it wrong frequently.

Original poster

beaniepix · 24/03/2009 18:34

My Granny isn't around any longer. I don't think that any of the family would have a problem with using Sylvia as it was so very long ago (about 50 years in fact!) and she died so very young. In fact I think it they would like the 'acknowledgment' IYSWIM. However I would check with my Mum before finally going with that name.

Wheeleybug - can't belive we have such similar tastes!!! Am delighted that your similar concerns about Anna vanished once you went with the name - it makes perfect sense that the name became special because it was 'her'. I was hoping that would be the case but was just a bit worried... I'm also pleased to hear that you don't come across too many.

Unfortunately the only Anna I know (adult) is someone who would take it as a compliment that I had chosen her name - when the opposite is true - it's the one thing that puts me off! However I hardly see her and i don't want to be put off a name for a silly reason that won't matter within next to no time.

OP posts:

MarchNowFebMum · 24/03/2009 18:35

When I hear Neeve I think it sounds pretty, when I see it written I think it looks weird and ugly. Unless you are Irish maybe not?

Sylvia - prefer Sylvie but like family connection

Anna - v pretty but if you are looking for individual/special I would say not. tons of Annas

BCLass · 24/03/2009 18:40

My gran was named after her aunt who died as a baby, because she was so small 'They thought I would die as well'.

She is 89 this year and still going strong, her bigger (at birth) twin died nearly 20 yrs ago.

Ignore superstision (sp) - it means nothing! Sylvia is lovely, and also the name of an F A B suffragette.

BCLass · 24/03/2009 18:40

My gran was named after her aunt who died as a baby, because she was so small 'They thought I would die as well'.

She is 89 this year and still going strong, her bigger (at birth) twin died nearly 20 yrs ago.

Ignore superstision (sp) - it means nothing! Sylvia is lovely, and also the name of an F A B suffragette.

Original poster

beaniepix · 24/03/2009 18:40

wrt Niamh: I'm Irish but have been living in England for about 10 years and DH is English. It would be nice to choose an Irish name to hold on to my roots, and as various people have said there are a number of famous Niamh's, which helps (and it's been in the top 100 girls names in England and Wales for quite a while now - around the same ranking as Anna, can you believe?). HOWEVER yes the name spelling / pronouncing could be very irritating. Probably not so bad in school as people would quickly get used to it, but in my job I speak to new clients on a daily basis and couldn't imagine having to deal with people grappling with my difficult name every day...

OP posts:

dizzydixies · 24/03/2009 18:47

Sylvie and Anna are lovely

if you can't use Isabelle what about Ismay?

thatsnotmymonster · 24/03/2009 18:47

I know several Niamhs- one in ds's nursery. They seem fine with spelling etc.

I know several baby Anna'a all under 2. Very sweet name but seems to be quite popular ATM.

I know one Sylvia who is Sylvie for short. She is 4 now and really suits it.

mrswrite · 24/03/2009 18:54

How about spelling it Neve? quite popular I believe so shouldnt be an issue

mrswrite · 24/03/2009 18:54

love Sylvie

louisejohnson87 · 24/03/2009 19:02

I like Anna.

Although I don't like the name Sylvia (I work in an old peoples home and the one I know has put me off of that name forever) but I really like the sentiment.

My cousin was named Daisy, because she was born on Valentines day which is the same day my great granny Daisy died.

At first it took everyone by surprise but then they all came to realise that it is a sweet sentimental thing.

I think if you want to use the other name it should be spelt Neeve, that way you would never get any confusion, yet it still sounds as sweet as it is.

My opinion only.

ohdearwhatamess · 24/03/2009 19:16

Love Anna

Not sure about Niamh - quite a few of them round here. Don't think people struggle to spell it anymore though as it has become more common.

Like Sylvie (Sylvia less so) but wouldn't use it in your situation. We rejected a name we really loved for ds1 and 2 because it was the name of dh's late brother (cot death baby).

pointydog · 24/03/2009 19:26

Anna is lovely

Sylvia - ugh. Sylvie french

Niamh - lovely sound, spelling a bit of a pain

wotulookinat · 24/03/2009 19:30

Anna - no don't like it. It's boring.
Sylvia - yes yes yes! It's my number one choice for a girl. Means 'from the forest'. Not so keen on Sylvie.
Niamh - is lovely.

hester · 24/03/2009 19:33

I think all three names are very pretty. Anna probably my favourite. Prefer Sylvie to Sylvia. Niamh is getting more popular so maybe fewer problems in the future with mis-spelling? I like irish names: also like Sinead and Siobhan.

silkcushion · 24/03/2009 19:34

I like all three. My dd has my sister's name as her middle name and my sister died aged 1 week.

I think it's nice to recognise a family name and will be special for her. Although I'm not sure I would have given her it as a first name (would have been difficult for my mum).

Prefer Sylvie to Sylvia. Favourite is Anna though. Also think Niamh is nice if you have an Irish background. We're going to give dd2 a welsh name when she arrives because of my background and sod the fact that no one can either spell or pronounce it.

Good luck with yr choices

Babbity · 24/03/2009 19:37

I think Sylvia is just beautiful and with the family connection it is just perfect, and poignant too.

RachieB · 24/03/2009 19:39

Only like Niamh

Nancy66 · 24/03/2009 19:45

I really like Syliva but, like the others, prefer Sylvie.

Anna is good - classic, feminine, classy. Ok, guess you can argue that it's a little boring but it's a good solid name.

Niamh I don't like at all. Not a fan of Gaelic names

SoupDragon · 24/03/2009 19:48

"it should be spelt Neeve" No it bloody shouldn't!

RachieB · 24/03/2009 19:58

I agree, i know a Neeve but it looks made up!

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