View Message

Opinions on Sylvia
I heard this name on a little girl in a bookstore last week. I've always had a soft spot for it, so I was really happy to see it used on a little girl. WDYT? I came up with the combos Sylvia Genevieve and Sylvia Pearl. I also like Sylvia Maggie and Sylvia Daisy, but they sound too nicknamey. What do you think of the combos I came up with, and the name in general? ETA: Would it be too hard to get past the "old lady" association?

This message was edited 6/26/2008, 8:59 AM

Archived Thread - replies disabled
vote up1

Replies

I have long loved Sylvia and am puzzled when people dislike it. It has always felt very workable among Olivia and Lily and Victoria and America's fondness for Y's.The poster Siri came up with Sylvia Wren a while back and I've always found that lovely and perfect. S. Genevieve and S. Pearl are nice too, with a similar vibe. The other two are meh for me, though Sylvia Margaret is nice. My most epic Sylvia combo is Sylvia Blanchefleur, which I feel is delightfully over-the-top.
vote up1
I like Sylvie a lot and don't think it's old-ladyish at all. Sylvia Pearl is nice but does push Sylvia into old-lady territory. I love Genevieve but something about Sylvia Genevieve is really off to me.
vote up1
I would rejoice if I encountered a juvenile Sylvia. ♥Sylvia Pearl's lovely.
vote up1
Sylvia is not old lady to me... I think it's refreshing! I love Sylvia Genevieve!
vote up1
I love Sylvia, and it think it'll be used more which should kill the old lady connotation. I like Sylvia Genevieve the best. Daisy and Maggie just don't fit with such a formal sounding name IMO.
vote up1
It's a beautiful name and deserves to be used more often. Sylvia Pearl is adorable.
Sylvie is a cute nn if need be, as has already been said. I also like Sylvie in its own right.
Sylvia's too lovely to be ignored - and I don't see anything "old ladyish" about it. Even old ladies were cute babies once.
If Lilian and Nora and Ruby can be revived, then Sylvia certainly can!
vote up1
Sylvia is beautiful! Light and airy. From yours, I quite like Sylvia Pearl and would swoon over Sylvia Marguerite.. you could nickname her Sylvia Maggie or Sylvia Daisy then! My own Sylvia combo is actually a Sylvie one: Sylvie Beatrix.
vote up1
I love Sylvia! It's a very pretty, I might even say; beautiful name.
My own favorite combo is Sylvia Beatrice.
Sylvia Genevieve is beatiful too.
vote up1
I fell in love with the name Sylvia watching, "Shakespeare in Love." When Gwyneth Paltrow read the lines, "What light is light, if Sylvia be not seen? What joy is joy if, Sylvia be not by?" shivers ran up this namenerd's spine. I had always liked Sylvia. My first piano teacher, and the sweetest woman ever, was a Sylvia. And in the 1970's I followed the BBC's production, "Shoulder to Shoulder," about suffragettes in England fervently. The Pankhurst family, mother Emmeline and dds Sylvia, Christabel and Adela gave me some of my first crushes on old fashioned names. One of my first combinations that I can remember was Sylvia Christabel. But that scene in "Shakespear in Love" sealed the deal for me. Charm turned to love for Sylvia. I've often hoped that people who like Olivia would also love Sylvia, but I haven't seen much evidence of it yet. Although, with your post and meeting a little Sylvia, perhaps the tide is turning? I never worry about the "old lady" factor. Who could look at a sweet child and think "old lady" when they hear her name? If anything, giving the name to a child rejuvenates the name, not the other way around. At least for me. But if you are really worried, just pull bright and breezy Sylvie out of your back pocket as a nn. That should lighten up the mood. (Yes, I know it's a name in its own right. But it can still by used as a nn, the way some people use French Sophie as a nn for Sophia.)

... Load Full Message

This message was edited 6/26/2008, 10:55 AM

vote up1
Bear,Someone on IMDb may be able to make you a copy of "Shoulder to Shoulder." Read this thread in particular (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071047/board/nest/7613349).
vote up1
(Ignore)

This message was edited 6/26/2008, 11:58 AM

vote up1
Thank you!I'm going to contact some of the people on that site. I jumped through hoops a few years back including trying to contact the producers of the series. Of course I got nowhere. I tried IMDB before, but never knew about the page you've listed.Much, much thanks!
vote up1
I don't think Sylvia is "old lady" at all. It sounds very fresh to me (probably because I have never known anyone named Sylvia!).I don't really like Genevieve or Pearl, but Sylvia Margaret would be nice (instead of Maggie).My favorite combo is Sylvia Ruth, BTW.
vote up1
Posted in wrong spot. Ignore.

This message was edited 6/26/2008, 1:34 PM

vote up1
Sylvia Genevieve is nice-sounding.
vote up1
I love the name Sylvia. I've never known one. It should be used more often. Maybe the fact that you met a little girl with the name means it is rising in popularity, which would be a sign that the general public does have taste after all.
vote up1
I like Sylvia Genevieve and Sylvia Pearl the best. My grandmother's name was Sylvia, so I've often thought about giving it to my daughter as a middle name. :)
vote up1