View Message

Male, definitely. I'd go with Sylvaine (pronounced sil VEN) or Silvana. Or Sylvie/Sylvia.

Sylvan Learning Centre!

---

Maybe it's just Canadian but it's what I think of...

It's quite popular where I live, I know several.All male.

---

Girls are Silvie, (or Sylvie), or Sylvia.(less usual).

I now associate it so strongly with Sylvan Learning Centers that I think more "tutoring and test prep" than "name" when I hear it. I guess it's male to me, but I can see it working on a female character. I think it would be fine.

Sylvan is all male to me. I am not sure how usable I consider it here because the tutoring centres are very popular. It's too bad because it's very handsome.

---

I don't like the idea of Sylvan on a girl at all, there are plenty of variants that are female, there is no reason to co-opt a male name. Sylvia, Sylviane, Sylvana.

---

That said, if it's for a character in a story I can't get too worked up about it.

Oh, I was so disappointed when I opened your message and read "for a girl."
I think Sylvan is very usable for a boy. For a girl it just seems genderbending to me. Like Adrian or Julian on a girl.

---

Sylvaine, Sylvane (sil-vahn), Sylvana ...

This message was edited 9/22/2012, 8:05 PM

It actually sounds kind of cool, like as a GP, but I think it sounds more masculine. Sort of like Sylvester. I like Sylvie or Sylvia for a girl better, but I guess it could work. It's a little weird for either though, because it sounds like a school near here.

This message was edited 9/22/2012, 7:08 PM

I much prefer Sylvan on a boy. Sylvie, Sylvia or Silvana all work for girls

Sylvan is all male to me. Silvana is used as a female name here, so I prefer that for s girl.