Sylvia
Sylvia
(f) A feminine form of the Latin name Silvanus,
borne by the god of woods and forests (Latin silva, ‘wood’).
Silvanus has been used in Scotland on occasions, sometimes spelt
as Sylvanus.
Silas
is a variant of the name, and Sylvester is connected etymologically.
Shakespeare asked the famous poetic question: ‘Who is Silvia?’
and many other pastoral poems of the seventeenth century include
the name.
Burns
wrote of Damon and Sylvia. Sylvia was reasonably well used in
Scotland from 1950-60, but it now seems to be out of fashion.
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To Scottish Christian Names
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