Hi Swistle,
We are three sisters, Anna (oldest), Lucy (me) and Kate (youngest).
We all love the name Sylvie for our babies! My due date is end of March. Anna’s due date is next week! Kate is due at the end of March too. None of us know the gender.Anna has two kids already, Isabelle James Love and Henry James Love.
James is a family name so the name would be Sylvie James. For a boy, she has chosen Felix James. Anna thinks she has rights to the name as she is the oldest and is having her daughter/son first. She is insistent that Sylvie will be her name and that none of us are to use it. She likes classic names with nicknames. She calls Isabelle, Izzy/Belle and Henry, Harry/Hank.I have one little girl, Etta Rose Carmichael. Now I think that Sylvie and Etta sounds like sisters! I think the name is perfect for me and I really, really wish my sisters would back off. I would love some help to pick a name for a little boy too. I have no clue this pregnancy for names! Some names I’ve thought about are, Lila, Lena, Emilie, May, June, Elsie, Constance, Lula, Jasper, Leo, James, Barney, Noah, Archie, Arlo, Milo, Harmon,August, Miles, Hugh, Forrest, Silas and Benjamin. I don’t really want two E names though.
Kate has no children but likes the names: Jocelyn, Lyla, Laney, Destiny, Annie, Gwendolyn, Piper, Leilani, Victoria and Thea as well as Sylvie. But Kate definitely thinks that Sylvie is her name. She refuses to even see the possibility of her not having a Sylvie. She wants her Sylvie to be Sylvie Belle Cobain which upset Anna because Belle is part of Isabelle’s name. She would also like help with a boy’s name although the middle name will be Braden.
So, Swistle please, please help us three sisters who are at war over Sylvie!
But here’s the interesting bit-we’ve decided that whatever combo Swistle picks for us will be the one we use! Swistle, you’re in charge.
Lucy, Anna and Kate xo
Here is Swistle’s decree: all of you may use the name. I mean it. All of you. In fact, I hope you DO all have girls and DO all use the name Sylvie, because there are already so many coincidences here it seems like the only way to wrap it up. Three sisters, all due in the same month, none know the sex, number of kids goes in age order (Anna 3, Lucy 2, Kate 1), all want the same unusual girl name? The ending I can’t help but root for is the one where we end up with three adorable same-age cousins, all named Sylvie. I’m picturing hearing that story from an acquaintance, and I would LOVE it. And since all three have different middles/surnames, that makes it easy for telling them apart within the family.
If the three of you are in agreement that only one of you can use the name Sylvie, I disagree that Anna has dibs because she’s the eldest, but I’d agree with the idea that the first of you to give birth to a girl has the right to use the name. Unless there is something else not included in the letter (such as a reason why one of you might have a greater claim to the name than the others), I think that’s the only fair way to decide: the name Sylvie belongs to the first baby girl born. It’s a little puzzling that neither Anna nor Lucy has used it yet, since each has had a girl, but I will assume there is an explanation that isn’t mentioned in the letter.
If the three of you are not in agreement on whether the name can only be used by one sister, then I suggest that the ones who don’t want duplication be the ones to voluntarily back out. It is an absolutely fine and reasonable preference to want one’s child’s name not to be duplicated within one’s immediate social circle. This can be achieved by saying, “Hey, guys, these are some of our finalists—do any of you want to use any of these? No? Are you SURE? Because we don’t want duplication. Okay, so you’re fine with me calling dibs? Great!” It should not be achieved by grabbing up names and saying “MINE! MINE! I CALL DIBS! NO ONE ELSE CAN HAVE THEM, EVEN IF YOU ALSO THOUGHT OF THESE NAMES YOURSELF!” To put it another way: if you want names no one else will use, choose the names no one else wants, rather than banning everyone else’s use of all the names you want. If for example Anna and Lucy both say that only one sister can use the name Sylvie, but Kate feels all of the sisters should be able to use it, then Anna and Lucy should find names the other sisters don’t want to use, and Kate can use the name Sylvie.
I see no reason Kate’s daughter can’t have the middle name Belle, even if Anna’s daughter Isabelle is called Belle. That seems like a sweet tie between cousins. If it is truly upsetting to Anna for any of the cousins to share any part of any of their names, and if Anna is the only one who feels that only one sister can use the name Sylvie, I’d suggest this deal: Lucy and Kate agree that they can both use the name Sylvie, no matter who has a girl this time around; Kate agrees not to use Belle as the middle name; Anna agrees not to use Sylvie; Lucy and Kate agree not to use the name Anna uses instead.
Another option is to agree that none of you will use the name. This is painful, but may be worth it to preserve peace among sisters. Sometimes this is the only solution for two parents who are both clinging to their own favorite name: both have to abandon their first choices, and come up with something else they can agree on.
For Anna, I’d suggest a name that is more in line with her usual preferences, but perhaps we could find something with a nice V sound like Sylvie: Olivia (Livvy), Vivian (Vivi), Evelyn (Evvie, Lynnie), Genevieve (Genna, Evie). Or Sophie is very similar to Sylvie, and more on par with the popularity of Isabelle. Isabelle and Sophia; Izzy and Sophie. Or if she wouldn’t want to save Felix for a future boy, she could use Felicity if this baby is a girl.
For Lucy, my favorites are Lena, May, and June from the girl name list, and Archie, Arlo (though I find it difficult to say with the surname), Hugh, and Silas from the boy name list. For girls I’d add Flora, Josie, Louise, Olive, Ruby, Sadie, Sybil, Thea, Willa.
For Kate, the field is still wide open. The list of other names she likes is so varied in popularity and style, I’d suggest starting by thinking in terms of future sibling groups, to see if she can get a better feeling for her overall preferences. Does she see herself with more of a Gwendolyn and Victoria family? or more of a Destiny and Piper family? or more of a Laney and Annie family? or more of a Lyla and Thea family? Or is she more of the Happy Assortment philosophy, and will want a mix of styles? And her boy name list might look completely different: it’s common for parents to like one style for girls and another style for boys. Is she more the William/Henry/Charlie style, or the Braden/Caden/Hayden style, or the Hunter/Carter/Mason style, or the Ezekiel/Moses/Ezra style, or the Jett/Maverick/Arrow style, and so on and so on.
I do hope, though, that none of you have to give up your favorite and look for another name. Whether that happens by all of you having girls named Sylvie, or by all of you having nothing but boys from now on, or by only one of you having a girl this time and the other two no longer wanting to use the name Sylvie, I hope the story has a good ending—and that you will tell it to us, no matter how many years go by before you know how it turns out!
Name update the first!
Hi Swistle,
Important news, and answers to your questions!
1) Neither of us used Sylvie beforehand because when Anna was pregnant with Isabelle, she had a close friend named Sylvie who no longer lives in the same country. At the time, for her, it would have felt weird to name her baby Sylvie. She doesn’t like sharing names and it’s one of the reasons she was so protective over Sylvie! For me, my husband and I came up with Etta Rose at an early stage in the pregnancy and loved it too much to even think of another name.
2) Kate and I have both agreed to look at other names. At the moment, I’m liking Ruby May, Louise June, Lena Sylvie, Vera Constance, Lula June, Celia May and Lila Sylvie. Kate has thanked you for your suggestions and likes Thea Belle, Seth Braden, Asher Braden, Lyra Elizabeth, Savannah Belle, Savannah Kate and Oliver Braden. So, we do have some other names to look at and tension has died down a bit. We also are considering the idea of naming the babies Sylvie and calling them by nicknames.
3) Felix James Love was born early this morning and is DIVINE! Anna would like to thank you for your advice and has said that she will be keeping Sylvia and Sophia in mind for future babies… The tension has definitely diffused by Anna having a son as we’ve begun to realise that there is a possibility of all three us having sons. We’re calling him Lucky and Fox at the minute as some cute nicknames but he is more than definitely a Felix. Felix is 7 pounds and is 19.2 inches. Isabelle and Henry adore baby brother Felix and Anna is tired out but happy :)
4) Please continue being AMAZING and sending your fabulous comments. Kate and I are still battling over Sylvie. Perhaps we will end up with two Sylvie’s going by Syl and Liv. It depends. We see each other on a regular basis and kids will go to the same school to those asking. I will admit to backing down a little bit because I feel like as it is Kate’s first child she should get to use the name she uses. But I would still use Sylvie as a middle name.
Anna, Lucy and Kate xo
Name update the second and third!
Hey Swistle,
I’m Kate the third sister and I’m writing to you this time as Lucy is just a little bit busy at the moment!
With two kids, she’s struggling to find time! I’m happy to announce that I have a beautiful new niece named Sylvie Lena Carmichael. Sylvie Lena is adorable! Sylvie is 6 pounds and 18.8 inches. She is happy and healthy although quite little. SO proud of Lucy for my two beautiful nieces Etta and Sylvie.
On to other news, I gave birth to a beautiful little girl last night. She is the prettiest little thing. I am in love with her and being a first time mother is AMAZING!
Her name is Sylvie Piper Cobain. Yep, we both used Sylvie! We plan on calling them Sylvie Piper and Sylvie Lena when they are around each other as well as using nickname Syl for Sylvie Piper and Vee for Sylvie Lena. Despite me really wanting Sylvie Belle, my husband adores Sylvie Piper and I do too. Baby Syl is 8 pounds and 18.9 inches so Vee is the smallest baby of the three.
I know that a lot of people doubted the credibility of our rocky name journey but believe me, this whole craziness is real! We are all so happy to not be hormonal, crying, super pregnant wrecks any more!Our husbands, (Anna=Joe, Lucy=Drew Kate=Ezekiel) would like to thank you for helping us learn that cousins can have the same name!
So, a big, big, big THANK YOU from Kate, Lucy, Anna, Felix, Sylvie Lena and Sylvie Piper!
Anna, Lucy and Kate xo
THIS IS THE BEST AND I WANT UPDATES. Three of them.
YES YES YES
ME TOOOOOO!
This is the most exciting swistle post ever.
They’re all going to have boys, aren’t they :(
That would take care of the issue
I usually offer up name suggestions but in this scenario- Swistle once again laid out all of the options just perfectly! However, coming from a family of ONLY sisters and one of those being an identical twin- we would not name our children the same name. I think you should all agree to use Sylvie as a middle name!
Can’t wait for this update either!
Agree that most people would not give first cousins the same name. What’s so charmingly strange about this scenario is that all three sisters have stubbornly decided that Sylvie is the ONLY name for them, despite (as Swistle mentions) two having had girls previously and not choosing Sylvie then. Plus, they are all due within a few weeks of each other and have all decided not to find out the gender of their respective babies, despite this Sylvie issue. Plus anybody could imagine this scenario easily with two sisters. THREE?
It’s one of those instances where you have to encourage people to just steer into the skid, you know?
Nailed it! I look forward to an update with a cute picture of three nearly same-age cousins named Sylvie.
In general I believe the first to have a girl gets to use the name. However, I don’t think Sylvie works great with Anna’s two other kids. It’s not bad but so many names work better. It makes me thinks she’s clinging to Sylvie just to “win”. Sylvie doesn’t match her full formal name with cute nickname theme. Swistles suggestions are spot on and I’d pick any of them before Sylvie with her sibset.
I think Sylvie aligns flawlessly with Lucy’s taste so I’m tempted to give Lucy the green light. If you can’t claim Sylvie, how do you feel about Nina or Celia (cece makes me swoon)? From your list I love June and Arlo.
Kate has a clean slate and could pick anything and I’d love to see a Thea Belle <3
My great-grandmother had three great-grandsons – all of whom had the first name of Robert. Eventually, everyone was called something else and it was (and continues to be) not a big deal. Three cousins named the same thing can work out, for sure!
Ha! What a trip. This sounds like a classic scenario from a family of three sisters, for sure. ;)
For starters, it’s SO FUN that all three of you are pregnant and due within weeks of one another. I grew up in a big family, and had three first cousins born within a month of me, including one on the same day! It was really fun. I totally don’t think you should let this put a damper on something so exciting and near. If you think it will cause resentment, I would say just come to terms with the idea of all of you dropping it.
With my second son, DH and I both had to let go of our favorite choice, because we wouldn’t acquiesce. We had to find a second choice that we both agreed on. Which, of course, then “becomes” your child, and you love it.
I personally don’t think Sylvie “goes” with Isabelle. Now Sylvia, nickname Sylvie,makes a little more sense. But I greatly prefer Sophia/Sophie with her other children’s names.
Sylvie sounds good with Etta, but I like May and June just as much. May is particularly cute to me.
And I love Jocelyn and Annie for the last sister. Boys names that match stylistically (although she’s all over the place) are perhaps Benjamin or August if she goes the classic route; maybe Hollister or Cabrin if she goes the trendy route.
Good luck to you all!! Can’t wait for the update! :)
LOL! I’m trying to imagine this scenario playing out among me and my sisters. I love that Anna wants to claim Sylvie because she is the eldest. I feel like I would totally say that to my younger sisters but I would not expect to be taken seriously!
I would be so interested to hear where Sylvie came from. Did someone casually mention it and now the others are holding it hostage? Is it a family name? Were you all watching a movie, heard the name, and immediately started fighting over it? WHY isn’t Isabelle or Etta named Sylvie? Do you all really love Sylvie, or is it a point of pride now and no one wants to “lose?”
PLEASE update! Hoping for 3 little Sylvies!
OMG they are so only going to have boys:( So sad ha. But I agree with either:
1) All of you get to use the same name (though, since there is already an Isabelle, for this, and Anna’s kids all share the same middle name, I’d suggest Kate picks a different middle name for her daughter so as to not confuse calling out Belle and Sylvie Belle. That’s if your kids are together on a regular basis; more than just family holiday parties. If that’s the case, then Sylvie Belle should still be OK).
2) I do agree that the first person with a girl should use it…HOWEVER….I think it’s interesting Sylvie was never used before with two sisters who both had girls. Maybe you had honor names you chose first, or had some other specific reason. But I’d probably give a little preference to the one sister expecting her first child, because clearly this is what she thinks to be HER name, with no other real option. PS Kate, if you do go with another name route, I’d consider the Gwendolyn or Lyla groupings haha.
This was a fun one to read and imagine! I hope we get an update!!
I hope they use Sophie, Sybil, and Sadie :)
also, sylvie is the name my fiancé and i have agreed on for a long time for if we ever have a daughter in the future
I have one cousin and 2 second cousins (1 of which I saw as often as my cousins) that are all about my age. There are 4 months between the oldest Christopher and the youngest, (that would be me, Christi) the ones in between are Kristy and Kent. At family gatherings Christopher was always referred to by his full name, Kent got off lucky and Kristy and I used first and middle names. There is always the options of each little Sylvie having their own nickname or them going by Uno, Dos, and Tres when they are all together. Unless they will be in the same school it will really only be an issue when the family gets together and not really a daily annoyance.
This is so fascinating and the sisters and cousins are already so well-named, that I almost don’t believe it. Looking forward to the update. Chances all they won’t all have girls, so it’ll be interesting to hear all three combos. I’d find three cousins with matching names incredibly confusing, but definitely a fun story. Swistle’s advice is spot-on.
I know, it’s like a plot line in a summer beach read.
Oh, this is a good one! Personally I feel like names can’t be “claimed”. Doubles are fine! (I would avoid to Anna Smiths though, but Anna Smith and Anna Baker are fine!) Otherwise, first baby girl born should be the Sylvie. I can’t wait for an update on this one!
I’m going to go out on a limb and say the sisters that already have girls- THEY HAD THEIR SYLVIE CHANCE. Not to be mean, but if it was the one true name, you could have snapped it up with your first kid. So my first instinct it to give priority to the new mother.
Next, whoever has the baby first? And maybe some of these babies will be boys anyways?
Good luck sisters. The name usually takes on the love for the baby so even if it doesn’t start out perfect, soon you find you can’t imagine the baby any other way. Your relationship is most important.
Yes, that was my exact thought! Why didn’t they use it with their first girls if it is their favorite? I liked the idea someone presented above of all of them using it as a middle name, that would be a fun cousin connection.
I’m also in the “you can’t own a name” camp. First baby girl can be named Sylvie but be aware that her cousin may be Sylvie too. If you want to have the only cousin with a certain name pick something else.
My sister and I are due 1 week apart. She believes she can “own” a name (and is mad at a cousin whose kids nickname is vaguely close to her daughters nickname which I think is silly). It will be interesting to see what happens- neither of us have names picked out yet ……..
What if you all use Sylvie as a middle name?
Anna could use Felicia, since she likes Felix: Felicia Sylvie James Love. Isabelle, Henry, & Felicia.
I also like Evelyn: Evelyn Sylvie James Love. Isabelle, Henry, & Evelyn.
Olivia, Sophie/Sophia, or Vivian would also work well.
Or maybe Ivy, which would give both of her girls “I” names.
From Lucy’s list, I like:
Lila Sylvie Carmichael: Etta & Lila
Lena Sylvie Carmichael: Etta & Lena
June Sylvie Carmichael: Etta & June
Augusta Sylvie Carmichael (since she likes August for a boy): Etta & Augusta
From Kate’s:
Jocelyn Sylvie Cobain (or Jocelyn Sylvie Belle Cobain, if she really wants to use Belle)
Gwendolyn Sylvie Cobain
Lyla Sylvie Cobain (only if Lucy didn’t use Lila – or you’d be back to square one!)
Victoria Sylvie Cobain
Possible boys names for Kate:
Elliott Braden Cobain
Oliver Braden Cobain
Seth Braden Cobain
Asher Braden Cobain
Wesley Braden Cobain
Names similar to Sylvie to consider:
Sylvia
Sophie
Sidney/Sydney (for any gender)
Sadie
Sibyl
Ivy
Sylvan
Silas
Sylvester
Silvana
Silver
Genevieve
Eve/Evie
Jovie
Stevie
Names are first come, first serve. There are no “dibs.” First baby girl born can be named Sylvie. After that, my vote is nobody else in the family gets to use the name. I’d be good with repeating middle names (and Sylvie Belle with a cousin Isabelle is not an issue). However, I think it would be a bit weird to have 3 cousins all named Sylvie, especially since they will be so close in age.
Sylvie/Sylvia always makes me think of Lydia, which I didn’t see in the OP or Swistle’s reply. I will also 2nd Sophie as a reasonable compromise for Sylvie. I also like the idea of Lily, Cecilia, Cecily & Audrey.
I hope we get name updates for all 3 babies! I’m curious to know what the sisters decide.
This feels about as close to a troll as you can get on an intimate baby naming site! But stranger things have happened….
I think everybody should find a second choice that they love, and if they are not the first to have a baby girl then be ready to love an alternative name (or share I guess!)
Can’t wait to hear about this one!
Lol, I had the same thought!
I’m also slightly doubting the veracity of this one, but I follow the Dan Savage philosophy of advice columns, which is to say that all letters are hypothetical to everyone except the writer, regardless of whether the situation described is real or not. And this is definitely one of the more interesting scenarios that has been presented here!
This is EXACTLY how I feel about it, but couldn’t figure out how to say it!
Swistle! You’re just the best! Can not wait to hear this update!! Thank you for all you do!
I think Sylvie is very cute and I see it working for each sister. I also see no reason why all three sisters can’t use Sylvie, but I do think there may be better choices.
For Anna, I agree with Swistle and other posters that Sylvie is not the best match for siblings Isabelle/Izzy/Belle and Henry/Harry/Hank. OIivia/Ollie/Olive/Livvie would be perfect, as would be Sophia/Sophie or Sarah/Sadie/Sally. I also like Charlotte/Charlie/Lottie.
– Olivia James Love; Sophia James Love; Sarah James Love; Charlotte James Love
For Lucy, I will agree Sylvie does sound very nice with Etta Rose. From the list provided of alternatives, I really like Lena, Lula, June and May (I prefer the Mae spelling). Some others that might work for a sister to Etta Rose that I haven’t seen yet: Alma, Vera, Ruth, Faye. From the boy list and with Etta, I love Arlo, Miles (maybe Milo as a nickname?) and August. I would suggest Oscar, Abel, Arthur and Hugo.
-Sister for Etta Rose: Lena Faye, Lula June, Vera Constance, Lila Ruth
-Brother for Etta Rose: August James, Oscar Miles, Silas Hugo, Arlo Forrest
For Kate, I don’t see why Sylvie is the clear front-runner. There are so many different styles of names she likes, plus this is her first child…I don’t understand why she seems so attached to it. Of the other choices she shared as possibilities, I see many exciting options. Thea is so lovely! I also like Laney, although I prefer it as a nickname for Delaney. Piper is great too! I guess from all of those choices, I don’t see why Sylvie is “THE” name for her. I want to suggest Genevieve, which has the v sound of Sylvie and the G of Gwendolyn. Jocelyn makes me think of Josephine. I personally do not care for Destiny. Ooo, I wonder if Kate would like Savannah? Lyla is nice, although I like Lyra or Lydia a little more. Annie is very sweet, kinda sunny…old-fashioned almost. It makes me think of names like Molly, Tilly, Wendy, Millie.
Leilani is an outlier almost, but it does have a beautiful meaning. Victoria makes me think of other traditional, almost royal choices, like Margaret, Catherine and Elizabeth.
For a boy, I want to suggest: Oliver, Everett, Nathaniel, Gabriel, Asher, Jonah, Wyatt and Ezra
-Kate’s baby girl: Lydia Josephine, Lyra Elizabeth, Savannah Kate, Millie Genevieve
-Kate’s baby boy: Oliver Braden, Everett John, Jonah Braden, Braden Wyatt
Whew, that was long! Hope it helps :)
Well it doesn’t sound like Anna has any other name suggestions picked out… and since she is having her baby first (maybe?!) she might get it if it is a girl. But I agree with others that there may be better fits for her more classic names with a shorter nickname as Sylvie itself already sounds like the nickname.
I hope she either chooses something else, or has a boy and then you – Lucy- can get the name Sylvie… though you do also have other options on the table, so you may not be as tied to it as you think. I also think Sylvie Carmichael sounds best out of all the last names..
Kate also has other options on the table, so I don’t know why she thinks Sylvie is hers – but she might end up getting it if she has the baby last and the other two sisters either have boys or decide on some other name.
I’d also be interested in hearing who said Sylvie first and how everyone all of a sudden got claim to it. And how one one has a second fave that’s easily replaceable to avoid the conflict.
My sister in law is due a month after me and I had her tell me what she was thinking for names to make sure we weren’t overlapping, but technically I didn’t feel too threatened because my baby is coming first so I think whatever baby comes first gets true dibs. Just unfortunate we have a situation with 3 sisters all wanting the same name for babies due all at once. Can’t wait to hear all the updates on this! Don’t keep us waiting!
Exactly! Lucy doesn’t mention that this is a family name, and I find it really, REALLY hard to believe three sisters each independently came up with the name Sylvie without somehow influencing each other. (Maybe it’s more common in other regions, but I’ve lived in several U.S. cities and have only known one little girl with the name, not counting any of the Sylvias I’ve met [who actually don’t go by Sylvie].)
Did one of you hear it first, or see it in a book, and present it to the others? If you’re all committed that only one of you can use it, I say she’s unequivocally the one with dibs. Anna does NOT get dibs just because she’s the oldest, although I certainly know plenty of families where that sort of thing goes unchecked all the time!
Finally, if the “who said it first” thing fails for some reason (I suspect more than one sister will claim having mentioned the name first!), my humble opinion: Kate uses Sylvie. As other posters have written, Sylvie doesn’t work with Isabelle and Henry. (It would be okay with either one by itself, but all three of them together make the shared -ee endings of Henry and Sylvie seem really pronounced, and then Isabelle sounds like the standout.) Likewise, several other names (Lila, Lena, Lula, etc.) all work better with Lucy’s Etta than Sylvie does. Off the top of my head, I’m not sure what DOES go super well with Sylvie, but Kate will have time to figure that out!
Isabelle and Sylvie are both French: I find them quite compatible. Henry is close to Henri so I think it works too. Henry and Sylvie — share the end in “y” sound ending. Isabelle, Henry and Sylvie sound compatible to me. The problem seems to be that Anna likes formal names with nicknames, and I can’t think of one for Sylvie unless Sylvia would be the given name and Sylvie the nickname. For me, Sylvia has a different vibe from Sylvie; I strongly prefer Sylvie.
I don’t find Sylvie the best match with Etta. BNW suggests Minnie, Della, Lula, Bessie, Evie, Dora for an Etta’s sister. From Lucy’s list, Lila and Lena would be nice with Etta too.
True, on the origin side Isabelle and Sylvie do work. But I’m not sure that sharing a country of origin is all two names need to be an obvious great match! For example, Sophie and Capucine are also both French names, but they differ wildly in sound, (American) familiarity/popularity, and ease of pronunciation.
But I agree with the rest of what you say–there are other issues here, like the nickname one.
I love both Lila and Lena with Etta.
I think that “compatibility of sibling names” is often in the “eyes” of the namers/parents. As BNW shows, many names fit in more than one style category. Deciding which names go together is often subjective. I especially like “known”/used-in-the UK/US French names, so for me Isabelle and Sylvie go together, while Sophie and Capucine sound less favorable.
At any rate, Anna seems to think Sylvie would sound nice with Isabelle and Henry, while Lucy likes Sylvie with Etta. These sisters have different naming styles, yet each thinks Sylvie would would fit well with her sibset.
And then there’s the youngest sister who wants to name this baby Sylvie, yet also likes Destiny, Lainey, Piper and Leilani.
With those three subsets/possible sister names, I do like Sylvie best with Isabelle and Henry.
But of course, the issue here is who gets to use Sylvie, whether or not it’s a good match for the parents’ naming style. Maybe the popular UK naming style of giving hyphenated names, especially to girls, is the answer! A quick look at recent England/Wales naming stats turned up no Sylvie with hyphens, but similar Sophie with several:
Sophie-May
Sophie- Leigh
Sophie-Mae
Sophie-Louise
Sophie-Rose
Sophie-Anne
Sophie-Ella
Sophie-Lee
Sophie-Mai
My great-grandma Freda had a sister named Sylvie, born in the early 1900s. The other siblings were Nettie, Esther, and Rose (Yiddish-speaking family from Eastern Europe).
I know a family that has the tradition that all first born children get the same name as their paternal grandfather/grandmother. Consequently, there are 5 first cousins all named Leonard. :) They like the tradition and enjoy the connection between them. So I agree with Swistle – everyone names their girls Sylvie!
They can be called The Sylvies and then nicknamed Syl, Liv and Vie. I love it.
Okay, I wish I had thought of that. I vote Anna’s Sylvie is Liv, Lucy’s is Syl, and Kate’s is Vie.
That’s too cute.
I still would prefer different names for first cousins, but it would be too precious to go by those nicknames and be the little three musketeers.
Was just realizing that, while we have no repetitions in my mom’s side, we do have two Marys within a year or so, and then two Wills (with a bigger gap). Totally not a big deal, but none of them lived in the same town, which helps.
OMG PLEASE DO THIS
Would love to see three Sylvies, but agree there’s probably at least 2 boys in the mix!
Wanted to add the first girl to arrive does technically get the name, but that doesn’t necessarily mean others can’t/won’t use it. We chose a different name because I knew my sister would use it 6 weeks later regardless. Of course she ended up having the opposite sex, but we’re still happy with our choice – not surprisingly the first contender has become very popular, it wasn’t just us who liked it!
I LOVE the idea of three little cousins named Sylvie! LOVE LOVE LOVE it!
I think that all can agree to use Sylvie as middle name and that would be a nice bond and story vbetween cousins. I come from a family with 5 Hector and we never called them Hector! We either use a nickname or their middle name and I think that will happen here if all of them use it as first name.
If using Sylvie as a middle name is not the best choice for them I vote for the younger sister to use the name, since she’s the only one that doesn’t have girl already.
Or each sister could go get an ultrasound and make all this much easier…
Too simple? (After all, they MIGHT all be girls).
The only thing that would be tragic in this circumstance is if the first cousin born got the name, and the other two were always told that she “stole” their name. (Yes, I know a grown woman who still believes that her “real” name was taken by a family friend and is bitter about it. Very, very sad).
But these three sisters sound too loving for that!
Alternatives to Sylvie:
Sylvia
Cecilia
Cecily
Evelena
Sicily
Millie
Elodie
Delphine
Essie
Ellery
Natalie (my vote for oldest sis)
Esmee
Flossie (Florence)
Epiphany
Bettina (Betty)
Jolie
Persephone
This be
All the best to all you thoughtfully naming moms! Please, PLEASE send an update!!
Sylvie IS a darling name. I think Sylvie DOES go very well with Isabelle and Henry, especially with Isabelle because Isabelle and Sylvie are both French. And I agree Sylvie would be darling with Etta. And of course Sylvie would be a fine name for a first child in the family. What to do, what to do…
At first I liked Swistle’s suggestion that if all three babies are girls, they can all be Sylvie and known in the extended family as Sylvie-Middlename. That might make all the sisters/mamas (somewhat) happy, but what about the girls who would have to share their name with their same age cousin(s)? I can imagine one (or more) of them asking at about age 10 or 12, “Couldn’t either/any of YOU come up with another name? I want my OWN name!”
Here’s my suggestion: all three of you loving ;-) sisters agree that:
1. The first baby girl born to one of you will be Sylvie. She will be the only Sylvie.
2. Each one of your will select an alternate name in case your baby isn’t the first girl. (The babies may very well not be born in due date order, and no one can predict which one(s) will be a girl(s).)
3. Focus on the fun your family is going to have with these “triplet” cousins and not let this name issue diminish that.
I’m hoping the babies are 2 boys and just one girl!
(I too have wondered if this dilemma is real or fictional; either way, we will all be waiting for your update!)
Ok this is hilarious! I am sure there is a fair bit of sister rivalry going especially as two of you didn’t use this name already (indicating it is a new obsession not a long held favourite).
The trouble with holding dibs on a name is that it might not get used at all (ie the first two babies are girls named something else – and the sister that ‘won’ Sylvie has a boy/changes her mind!).
I am tempted to say that either you all get to use it or none of you do. If you want to use it then do so but with the knowledge that there might be another in the family. (I have first hand experience of this as we have a Joseph and my BIL has announced that they are naming baby Josephine in May – same last name, not a big deal. My best friend also has a son born the same year with the same ultra-common name as my oldest, we use their middles to differentiate).
TLDR: either you can all use it or none of you can! First or middle – up to you.
Love this!!!! For those who are crying troll–I don’t believe it. This seems so real to me, coming from a family with 6 girls (and four boys). There are 47 cousins (my kids included) with one expected any moment now, and there has been a bit of naming rivalry and cries of stolen names. Nothing too crazy. When you grow up together you often have similar tastes. There are so many cousins born within a few days of each other that we refer to this phenom as “cousin twin.” We also have two–my niece and nephew from different families–that were born the same day. We call them the twins.
My dad has an older brother named David plus four cousins named David–all five Davids were born in the same year. They always got their pictures taken together. :) It never seemed to bother anyone.
My daughter has two female cousins her age and we call them the E sisters: Emeline (mine), Ethne, and Elena. All three are very cute about their special (and unplanned and unintended) connection.
In short–I vote for three Sylvies. I love it!!!
I feel like there has to be room for Lavinia in this conversation, particularly for Anna, but I am enjoying imagining Sylvia James, Sylvie May, and Sylvester Braden, the wood-sprite cohort at family gatherings. Or Sylvester James, Sylvan August, and Sylvie Belle. Or yes, three Sylvies, though I do imagine that being a little hard on the grandparents on whom each Sylvie would have an equal claim, middle names would almost certainly be of more importance to the Syvlies than to their siblings. That might make James feel like it belongs more to Sylvie than to Isabelle and Henry, but I’m not sure how important that is. I do think Sylvie Belle is lovely and I’d like the connection to Isabelle if that were the only cousin-name connection, but having her name so closely tied to both of her Anna-kid-cousins does seem like a lot, also as if it leaves Etta out a little more pointedly. On the other hand, converting Kate’s Sylvie to Sylvie-Belle or Silvabel would give her her own distinct first name, which might be a plus particularly if by the time she’s born she has one cousin named Sylvie (if she has two already, I feel like it’s more fun to just go all out on the Sylvies).
I do feel like if only one gets Sylvie, it should be Kate because this is her first chance at naming a daughter, but since her baby is likely to be born last it would be dependent either on gender luck or the kindness of her older sibs and their families, since she really has no right to stop them using the name they want. I do think though, that if Anna and Lucy were to step aside from the possibility of Sylvie, it would be best for Kate to put aside her preference to wait to find out the gender so her siblings don’t end up saving the name for a girl who ends up being a girl.
One last thing though–if one of you gets to use the name Sylvie then all of you will have a Sylvie in your family. Yes, you all want her to be your daughter, but isn’t it also a wonderful thing to have a niece with a beautiful name? You will get to hear it and say it and lavish your love on a child of that name. I hope each of you will remember that you are all free, no matter what your sisters do, to name your children whatever you want. I hope you will each hold in your heads two futures–one in which your daughter is named Sylvie and her cousins are not, and one in which one of YOUR nieces is named Sylvie and your daughter is not–please try to make both of these futures ones in which Sylvie and her name can be a source of joy to you. They are both precious. Treasure them.
Wow- this is intense! I am torn between a) first one who has a girl gets Sylvie and b) save it for the youngest sister. I am leaning towards option B. There are two sisters who have already had girls and had the opportunity to choose their FAVORITE name for their firstborn daughter– shouldn’t the youngest sister have that chance now? I absolutely cannot wait to hear how it turns out!!
I agree. They both got their very first choice for a girl’s name, and now it’s her turn. –signed, an older sister
I am on the edge of my seat here! Dying for updates!
I vote three Sylvies, and I double vote for Syl, Liv, and Vie as nicknames. I refuse to contribute to alternate name suggestions.
I went through a very similar situation.
I am named after my grandfathers and always dreamed of continuing the tradition and naming my future daughter after her grandfathers. My fathers name is David.
I’m the oldest sister of 3, and the issue comes in with my younger sister. My mom used to tease her that her name could have been Davis. Well apparently she thought she had “rights” to the name because of that. Cue us being due with our first child (younger sister still in high school). My husband agrees to my idea of continuing the tradition and we come up with an option for a girl that is a variation of David (but not Davis).
Ultimately we had a frank discussion with my sister and said, we are having a baby right now and if its a girl it is between my husband and I to decide the name. We both felt we had “rights” to the name and I encouraged my sister to use the name Davis if she and her future husband chose to in the future. Again I think matching cousin names can be very cute!
All use it.
All use it as middle name.
Save it for the sister who hasn’t had a child yet.
But in any case, please, everybody, get the ultrasounds. Get them together, all on the same day. This may not even be an issue and why should you be upset with each other at such a wonderful time in your lives?
Whoa I love how quickly there was a name update! AMAZING! And I could so see there being 3 boys, or 2 boys and a girl, in which case, the one with a girl should see it as a sign that SHE was meant to have a Sylvie!
So at this point, Sylvie is NOT off the table for the other two sisters, even though Anna may use it down the road? Just checking, as I believe this to be fair and reasonable!
I like the idea of 2 Sylvie’s, one who goes by Liv and one who goes by Syl, or Lulu, or Leelee, or Vi, or having one go with Sylvia and one Sylvie, one nicknamed Syl and one Liv! Or perhaps the middle name could help…like Sylvie Kate, nn Kitty or Liv, and Sylvie Lou, nn Lula or Lulu. I also love the boys name Seth for Kate!!!!
Congratulations to Anna and family on the birth of Felix! And to all three sisters for amicably working your way through this situation. I love the name Sylvie, so I hope at least one of you has a a girl and names her that. Lucy and Kate, you’ve each got some great name ideas besides Sylvie. Thank you, thank you, thank you for letting us know right away the good news about baby Felix.
YAY for the quick update!
Lucy, I love your name options. Sylvie’s darling, but I’m SMITTEN with Vera Constance and Celia May. Etta and Vera. Etta and Celia. Yup, smitten. Sylvie Constance is pretty cute too.
For Kate, I’d like to join the chorus chanting “Thea Belle! Thea Belle!” Though I like Thea Beth even better. Thea Beth Cobain…dreamy. Thea and Oliver, oh yes. Thea Sylvie is also smashing.
I love the update! I’m suddenly very worried the second person to give birth will have a girl and defer the name to be nice, and NO ONE will end up using it if the third baby is a boy.
Ooo, Vera Constance! My vote (even though I know it counts for nothing) goes to this one! I love it so much!
I went to high school with cousins who shared the same first and last name (they had both been named after their grandfather) and they were best friends. After the first introduction nobody really thought it was weird. I say if the next two are girls go for Sylvie’s!
Congratulations to Anna on the arrivalof little Felix, how exciting for all of you and thank you for the update!
Sylvie is a great name and I don’t see an issue if you both choose to use it but here are some other ideas that Remind me of Sylvie and I like with Etta, which is a beautiful name by the way! Odette, Jolie, Ivy, Ivory, Alba, Quinn, Bonnie, Ada, Inga, Neve, Florance (Flora), Elodie, Sadie, Pearl, I especially love Ivory/Ivy and Jolie with Etta and I think Peral would make a beautiful middle name!
Ideas for a baby boy – Connolly, Bennett, Harvey, Reid, Bowie, Cole, Orlando, Arden, Otto, Maverick, My favourite is Connolly and Bennett, from your list Arlo is great! Congrats to Anna again and all the best x
*thats Pearl not Peral
Somewhere between Syvie and Celia is Cecily, which I’ve always loved.
I don’t think anyone has asked – what do the fathers think?
I find it amazing that you have 6 closely related people who have all spontaneously decided they LOVE the same name. Call Ripleys!
I think Kate should get the name because it’s her first baby, and it’s obviously her first love for a girl’s name. Anna and Lucy have already gotten their very first name love with their eldest daughters, and now it’s Kate’s turn. I’m saying this as an oldest sibling and oldest grandchild, too…AND as a complete name lover who has been plotting baby names since I was about twelve. The older moms who already had the fun of choosing and using that one name that they would choose if they knew they would never get another choice, so this time, they should let their little sister choose first.
I find it curious that so many people are saying Anna and Lucy missed their chance to use Sylvie. I had very different name lists for my two children, and can’t imagine thinking that not using a name for my first child meant I’d given it up. What if I’d never heard it before my first was born, and fell in love with it between children? What if a different name fit better for my firstborn, but I still loved Sylvie (or whatever name–but Sylvie is so good that I am thinking about having a third).
Wow, an update on the day of the birth! Is that a record?
Geez, I send off my tablet off for repairs, and this site goes kablooey with this post! Now I’m playing catch up.
Whoa, I barely ever read the blog anymore now that I’m out of the baby naming game, but this was a great one to happen upon, great advice Swistle, and now I’m looking forward to the other two updates too!
LOVE LOVE LOVE THE UPDATES! I also find it almost fate-like and prophetic that the one who was unwilling to share the name had a boy! Like the name was meant to be shared! LOVE the first-and-middle combos on ALL THREE names. Congrats sisters-three!
HURRAH. I hope Syl, Vee, and Felix all go on to have fabulously-named adventures.
edit: Make that Syl, Vee, and Fox. And now I want to go write a children’s book about Sylvie Fox, genius aviatrix, pun professional, and floral arranger whose unusual talents allow her to help resolve major international conflicts with panache.
Write that book and I will buy it for all my friends!
Yessssss
Wow, what an update! Congratulations to all of the new moms and dads, and welcome Felix, Sylvie Lena and Sylvie Piper! You three are going to have so much fun growing up together!
So you did it: two little Sylvie cousins! Congratulations all around! What fun for all of your family to have “triplet” cousins – – Felix, Sylvie Lena and Sylvie Piper! It sounds like everyone is delighted with the outcome.
BEST UPDATE EVER – thank you, ladies, for all the timely updates!! :) :)
I second this! Best update ever! And so timely!
This is awesome! I think using Syl and Vee is a great idea (plus they’re super cute nicknames). Congratulations on your three new babies and on each getting to use a name you love!
I feel like I have to comment with such demand for this unusual name! In spite of some misspellings (i instead of y, forgetting the e at the end, etc), and lots of queries of “but isn’t your real name Sylvia?? “, it is still a lovely name. I always get compliments… Congratulations!!
Thank you so much for the updates! Can I respectfully request a cousin picture?? :)