Cynthia
Cynthia is a feminine given name. It is often thought to be of Greek origin, but words and names with "inth" are actually Pre-Greek names belonging to another language family, before the Indo-European migrations. The name has been in use in the Anglosphere since the 17th century.
Meaning & Origin of Cynthia
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Cynthia is a feminine given name. It is often thought to be of Greek origin, but words and names with "inth" are actually Pre-Greek names belonging to another language family, before the Indo-European migrations. The name has been in use in the Anglosphere since the 17th century.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Cynthia
Cynthia first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 61 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1957, when 39,340 Cynthias were born — ranking #7 that year. As of 2026, Cynthia ranks #836 for baby girls with 325 births, falling sharply (-16%). In total, more than 712K Cynthias have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Cynthia
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Amy Elizabeth Thorpe (1910–1963), Anglo-American spy codenamed "Cynthia"
- Cinthia Zermeño Moore , American politician
- Cintia Dicker (born 1986), Brazilian model and actress
- Cyndi Lauper (born Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper, 1953), American singer, songwriter, and actress
- Cynthia (born Cynthia Torres, 1968), Puerto Rican-American freestyle- and dance-pop singer
- Cynthia or Cindy Bishop (born 1978), Thai model, actress, TV personality, and entrepreneur
- Cynthia or Cindy Bremser (born 1953), American runner
- Cynthia or Cindy Greiner (born 1957), American retired heptathlete and long jumper
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Cynthia
Phonetically similar names — useful when Cynthia is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Cynthia
What does the name Cynthia mean?
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About the name Cynthia
Cynthia is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 712K births in the dataset. Cynthia's peak popularity came in 1957 when it ranked #7. Use the chart and map above to compare Cynthia's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1957 →
- Names of the 1950s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.