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I prefer Sylvia, but I don't mind Silvia. I've met people with the surname Silva, so in my mind, I think of it as a surname first even though I know it's a first name as well. Silva just isn't as lyrical and flowing as Sylvia and Silvia.

Sylvia is my favorite, followed by Silvia and Silva. I'm also fond of Silvana / Sylvana and Silvestra / Sylvestra.

I think they are all pretty good. Sylvia is my absolute favourite, and one that I would definitely use on a child. I like how old-fashioned and homey it is, yet it is still gorgeous and refined, and it honours Sylvia Plath (one of my favourite writers). After that it would be Silvia, because it reminds me of my aunt of the same name and that it has a mythical, moon-like quality to it. Silva is my least favourite because it seems too country-bumpkinish for me (see Alma).

This message was edited 6/26/2011, 11:39 AM

I absolutely love Silvia. It's within my top three for a girl.
Sylvia is also lovely. I just prefer Silvia.
I don't like Silva, probably because it sounds/looks like a misspelling of Silvia and sounds too close to the word "silver."

Silva is a very common surname where I live, so I can't see it as someone's first name. I like Sylvia, but I think I like both spellings equally.

Well I have a pet named Sylvie (that my mom named) but the name Silvia is still in my top 5. My boyfriend loves this name and I think it's so feminine and soft, but it still has something special about it. I like the Silvia spelling just because it seems more delicate or something. Plus I usually try and avoid y's in names (even in a name like Sylvia where it's perfectly acceptable) I'm not really a fan of Silva at all. If feels to me like it's missing something.

I like Sylvia the best and Silva the worst.

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I know some one named Sylvia but most people call her Sylvie.

I like them all a bit but like Silva best. It doesn't have that old lady feel, has a nice meaning and sound.

I like both Sylvia and Silvia a lot. Their similarity to silver gives both a cool, crisp, wintery feel that I really enjoy. Silva, which was my great-grandmother's name, sound incomplete to my ear. It also sounds like someone with a thick accent saying "silver," as in "Polish da silva--company's comin'!"

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I'd rank them as Sylvia, Silvia, and Silva.

I like the name in general. Not enough to put it on my PNL. I prefer the Sylvia spelling. I also like Silva. I am not sure I like it better then Sylvia though.

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What about Sylvie?

My prefered spelling is Silvia. Like Silver as a middle name