How popular is the baby name Sylvie in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Sylvie.

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Popularity of the baby name Sylvie


Posts that mention the name Sylvie

Baby name needed: Girl name for Maeve’s sister

A reader named Kelly is expecting her second daughter in May, and she’d appreciate a few name suggestions. She writes:

Our first daughter, Maeve, was named really easily, and we grow to love the name more and more. However, we are having an exceptionally difficult time finding a second girl’s name that we like as much. I especially like Gaelic/Celtic names, but am willing to consider other options as well.

Here are some names that I think could work with Maeve:

Beatrix
Bevin
Blythe
Bree/Brígh
Bridget
Brynn
Caitlin
Carys
Chloe
Clio
Darcy		Deirdre
Eileen
Fiona
Freya
Gemma
Greta
Gwen
Hazel
Iona
Isla*
Ivy		Lorna
Lucy
Lyra
Miriam
Moira
Nora
Oona
Opal
Orla/Orlagh
Phoebe
Piper		Quinn
Rhona
Riona
Stella
Sylvie
Tamar
Tatum
Tegan
Tess
Tirzah
Zelda

*Pronounced EYE-la, but happens to looks just like the Spanish word for island, isla, pronounced EES-la.

Which of the above do you like best for Maeve’s little sister? What other names would you suggest to Kelly?

Baby name needed: Girl name for Edie’s sister

A reader named Andrea is expecting her second daughter in May and she’d appreciate some name suggestions. Here’s what she writes:

My husband and I love unusual names that have a little bit of a retro feel (my first daughter is Edie). We’ve been trying to think of something fun and different but still feminine. A few we like: Camilla, Lina, Romi, Gia, Neve and Leigh.

Here are some other names I think they might like:

Beatrix
Bettina
Blythe
Celia
Colette
Cora
Daphne
Della
Fern
Flora
Gemma		Hazel
Iola
Iris
Isla
Jill
Kate
Lida
Livia
Louise
Lucy
Mabel		Martha
Mina
Mona
Nelle
Nessa
Nina
Odette
Pearl
Pia
Rita
Rose		Ruby
Sabina
Sally
Stella
Sylvie
Thea
Tilda
Tess
Wendy
Willa
Winnie

Which of the above do you like best with Edie? What other names would you suggest to Andrea?

Baby name needed: Girl name for Lydia’s sister

A reader named Beth is expecting her second daughter in a few weeks. She writes:

My first is named Lydia and we have a very Polish last name. After what has been an excruciating process, my husband and I have come up with three names we can agree on. He loves Sylvia, as do I, but I wondered if it was too sing-song-y with big sister Lydia. I would probably want to nickname her Sylvie for that reason. We also like Stella, but I think the name is fast becoming the new Ava, Sophia or Ella. Francesca is the wild card-we like it, just not sure if it would fit well enough. What are your thoughts, and if you have any suggestions, they would be welcome!

One thing I noted was Beth’s use of the verbs like and love. She and her husband “like” Stella and Francesca, but they “love” Sylvia. I think that difference is key.

Over and over again I see people return to the name they loved after putting it aside to consider the dozens of names they liked. (As if all the lesser names had to be ruled out before a decision could finally be made.) If Sylvia is the one name Beth and her husband both love, perhaps that fact is more important than anything else…?

But let’s put diction aside for now and look at each name individually.

Is Sylvia too close to Lydia? It has the same length, the same rhythm, the same ending. I think I’d be against the pairing if not for the nickname Sylvie. That knocks off a syllable, alters the rhythm, changes the ending. If Sylvia will be known as Sylvie, well, that might just solve the problem.

I think it’s smart to be wary of Stella. I’m not sure that it has the momentum to become as popular as Sophia or Ava, but you never know.

Ah, Francesca! I’m a big fan of the Fran- names, so I get excited when I learn that someone might be using one. I think Lydia and Francesca fit together quite well. Even better than Lydia and Stella, actually. If this were a beauty contest, I’d probably give Sylvia/Sylvie the tiara, but I’d make Francesca the first runner-up.

I’d hate to make the naming process any more excruciating than it’s already been, but a few name suggestions did come to mind as I was typing:

Callista
Celeste		Isadora
Sabrina		Theresa
Vivienne

Do you have an opinion or suggestion you’d like to share with Beth? Please comment below and/or cast a vote in the poll (sidebar).

Update – The baby has arrived! To see the name Beth chose, either scroll down through the comments or just click here.

Baby names needed: Girl names for twins

A reader named Melanie has a daughter named Calla, and she is expecting twin girls in a few months. She writes:

We like the names Eliana, Isabella, Evangeline, Elia, Adeline, and many, many others, but are having a tough time with combinations. Also, name meaning is very important to us (our first daughter full name means, collectively, “beautiful pure light”). We would prefer names that are not very common, but are willing to make sacrifices if the family meaning and name meaning take precedence (family names are also important, i.e. Isabella and Evangeline are grandmother names – but they are both fairly common, so it’s a tough call). Thoughts? Suggestions?

Quite a bit to think about! Here are two ideas…

Have a Plan of Attack

A friend of mine is expecting twin girls a few months after Melanie. The method she’s using is basically this: focus on one set of names (either the firsts or the middles), make a decision, then focus on the other set of names. Right now, she’s got the middle names chosen and is pondering a handful of possible first names.

Having a system has simplified things a lot for her. This same system might not work for everyone, but I think having a system would help most people. So that would be my first suggestion — if things get overwhelming, take a step back and break the process down into steps. That way, you’re dealing with one or two unknowns at a time, not all four at once.

Use Calla as a Guide

Ideally, the twins’ first names should be on par with Calla. Names that are much longer, or shorter (or plainer, or more exotic, etc.) could be a cause of contention later on. You never want a child to feel short-changed or singled-out because of her name.

So I was slightly surprised to see names like Evangeline, Isabella and Eliana on the short list. I realize two are family names, but I think they sound a bit formal for the sisters of Calla. Names that I think come closer to the style/formality of Calla include:

Adela/Adele
Audrey
Elena
Elisa
Esme		Eva
Junia
Leah
Leona
Lucy/Lucia		Marina
Sylvia/Sylvie
Tess/Tessa
Thalia
Thea

What other advice would you offer to Melanie?

Update: The babies are here! Scroll down to the last comment to see what their names are…