Gabriel Sylvan / Graham Sylvan

Boy Names
1

So, I’ve been building my current list with my boyfriend for the last 11 months, and we fell absolutely in love with the name [name_m]Gabriel[/name_m] [name_m]Sylvan[/name_m]. He was our top choice for a little boy! But now, fast forward to a few days ago and my younger sister excitedly shares her baby name list with me! I love this for her! BUT smack on the top is [name_f]Gabrielle[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f]. It’s her and her husbands TOP choice for a baby girl. Neither of us is in a place where babies are actually anywhere close to being involved, but I realize 1 of 2 things is gonna have to happen now; one of us is gonna have to back down and let the other have the name, OR we’re gonna have cousins [name_f]Gabby[/name_f] & [name_m]Gabe[/name_m].

So first question; Are [name_f]Gabrielle[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f] and [name_m]Gabriel[/name_m] [name_m]Sylvan[/name_m] too close for cousins? They’d probably see each other often, as my younger sister is my best friend. The only nn we have for [name_m]Gabriel[/name_m] is [name_m]Gabe[/name_m], she lists possible nicknames as [name_f]Gabby[/name_f], [name_f]Bri[/name_f], G-Elle, or [name_f]Elle[/name_f]. Could it work if they were [name_m]Gabe[/name_m] and [name_f]Elle[/name_f], or [name_m]Gabe[/name_m] and [name_f]Bri[/name_f]?

I fear, nns aside, they are WAY too close, and as the person with 100+ names on my list compared to the few on hers, I think it’ll be me and my boyfriend who back down here. So we quickly got to work on finding new combos for [name_m]Sylvan[/name_m] we might love as much as [name_m]Gabriel[/name_m]. I threw [name_m]Percival[/name_m] [name_m]Sylvan[/name_m], [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m] [name_m]Sylvan[/name_m], [name_m]Alistair[/name_m] [name_m]Sylvan[/name_m], [name_m]Ryan[/name_m] [name_m]Sylvan[/name_m], [name_m]Jude[/name_m] [name_m]Sylvan[/name_m] and [name_m]Graham[/name_m] [name_m]Sylvan[/name_m] at him. [name_m]Jude[/name_m] and [name_m]Graham[/name_m] were the 2 we liked most, with [name_m]Graham[/name_m] winning out.

What are your thoughts on [name_m]Graham[/name_m] [name_m]Sylvan[/name_m] as a compromise? Are [name_f]Gabrielle[/name_f] and [name_m]Graham[/name_m] still too close? Does [name_m]Graham[/name_m] [name_m]Sylvan[/name_m] sound as nice as [name_m]Gabriel[/name_m] [name_m]Sylvan[/name_m] to you? Does [name_m]Graham[/name_m] evoke the same softness and gentle vibes of [name_m]Gabriel[/name_m]?

Bonus, for reference: Vibes I get from [name_m]Gabriel[/name_m] [name_m]Sylvan[/name_m] vs the vibes I get from [name_m]Graham[/name_m] [name_m]Sylvan[/name_m].

Summary

[name_m]Gabriel[/name_m] [name_m]Sylvan[/name_m]: Deep in the woods in early to mid winter. The smell of pine trees. [name_m]Dark[/name_m] browns, deep greens, and dusty grays. Pale blue skies, not a cloud in sight. A dusting of snow on the ground. Deer running in the distance. Rabbits and squirrels darting here and there. A wolf howling in the distance. A fox streaking past.

Summary

[name_m]Graham[/name_m] [name_m]Sylvan[/name_m]: Cottage-core vibes. A home with stone accents and wood siding sitting along the edge of the woods. [name_m]Orange[/name_m] lights glowing through the windows, warm and inviting. The smell of s’mores floating through the air as they’re being cooked over the fireplace. Mugs of hot chocolate not far from reach. A gentle snow drifts through the sky and a small, rough and tumble boy gets to work on his most epic blanket fort yet.

2

For me, [name_f]Gabrielle[/name_f] and [name_m]Gabriel[/name_m] is a bit much and since she’s already shared that [name_f]Gabrielle[/name_f] is her top choice it doesn’t feel like it would just be a coincidental thing? Still, don’t drop [name_m]Gabriel[/name_m] [name_m]Sylvan[/name_m] just yet - as you say, neither of you are anywhere near having babies yet, so I’d re-evaluate when there are RL babies in the mix? Sorry that’s not really a super clear answer!

[name_m]Gabe[/name_m] and [name_f]Bri[/name_f] + [name_m]Gabe[/name_m] and [name_f]Elle[/name_f] could work though?

[name_m]Graham[/name_m] and [name_f]Gabrielle[/name_f] work for me - [name_m]Gray[/name_m] and [name_f]Gabby[/name_f], [name_m]Gram[/name_m] and [name_f]Bri[/name_f], [name_m]Graham[/name_m] and [name_f]Elle[/name_f] etc don’t sound too close either.

[name_m]Graham[/name_m] does evoke different vibes to [name_m]Gabriel[/name_m] for me. A bit more buttoned up, a bit more ‘old man’ - but I will say, that might be a UK thing.

Does that mean you shouldn’t use [name_m]Graham[/name_m] or consider it? No - especially as it gives you woodsy, cottage-core vibes

4

are gabrielle & gabriel too close? in my opinion, yes. if it was some kind of honour name i could maybe understand it, but i think considering that it’s your sister’s favourite name and she’s already shared that with you, it would feel a little odd to use gabriel. the nicknames don’t make a difference to me. sure, bri & gabe don’t seem too close for cousins. but children can make their own choices, and since gabby is the most intuitive nickname for gabrielle, there’s no guarantee that you won’t end up with a gabby & gabe, even if you originally plan to use other nicknames.

thoughts on graham sylvan? it’s a handsome combo! it feels classic and handsome in an old-mannish way. graham itself is a cool name – it doesn’t feel soft or gentle to me, but neither does gabriel. out of graham sylvan & gabriel sylvan, i think graham sylvan is much more like the aesthetic vibe that you describe for it, compared to the vibe that you describe for gabriel sylvan, at least with the way i see the names. to me graham feels modern and outdoorsy, like camping gear & hockey shoes!

1 Like
5

To answer your first question: I think you could actually pull off having cousins named [name_m]Gabriel[/name_m] and [name_f]Gabrielle[/name_f], given the differences in nicknames. However, I really respect that you recognize that your sister’s name list is much shorter, and that you’re willing to be the one to change your frontrunner.

That said, I actually prefer [name_m]Graham[/name_m] [name_m]Sylvan[/name_m]! I think it has a better flow and vibe. :blue_heart:

1 Like
6

^ I think this bit is pretty key! At different points in my life (as an adult, with a boyfriend), I’ve been sure I’d have a [name_f]Felicity[/name_f], a [name_f]Tessa[/name_f], a Sylvie… none of these eventuated. Your lists might change when real kids are suddenly imminent! Your partners might change (sorry). [name_m]Or[/name_m] she might have only girls or you might have only boys.

So def keep [name_m]Gabriel[/name_m] and [name_m]Graham[/name_m] on your list!

That said, yes I think [name_m]Gabriel[/name_m] and [name_f]Gabrielle[/name_f] are too close for cousins. I think while [name_m]Graham[/name_m] has a different vibe it’s also a lovely name with a nice vibe, and not too close for cousins. I like your descriptions of the vibes they give you.