Silvia
Silvia is a female given name of Latin origin, with a male equivalent Silvio and English-language cognate Sylvia. The name originates from the Latin word for forest, Silva, and its meaning is "spirit of the wood"; the mythological god of the forest was associated with the figure of Silvanus. Silvia is also a surname.
Meaning & Origin of Silvia
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Silvia is a female given name of Latin origin, with a male equivalent Silvio and English-language cognate Sylvia. The name originates from the Latin word for forest, Silva, and its meaning is "spirit of the wood"; the mythological god of the forest was associated with the figure of Silvanus. Silvia is also a surname.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Silvia
Silvia first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1884, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1991, when 374 Silvias were born — ranking #602 that year. As of 2026, Silvia ranks #1,188 for baby girls with 202 births, rising sharply (+15% over the past five years). In total, more than 21K Silvias 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 Silvia
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Queen Silvia of Sweden (born 1943), spouse of King Carl XVI Gustaf
- Saint Silvia , Italian saint of the 6th century
- Silvia Abascal (born 1979), Spanish actress
- Silvia Abril (born 1971), Spanish actress and comedian
- Silvia Agüero (born 1985), Spanish Roma writer and activist
- Silvia Airik-Priuhka (1926–2014), Estonian writer and poetry translator
- Silvia Albano , Italian judge
- Silvia Alonso (born 1989), Spanish actress
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Silvia
Phonetically similar names — useful when Silvia 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 Silvia
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About the name Silvia
Silvia is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1884 and has accumulated 21K births in the dataset. Silvia's peak popularity came in 1991 when it ranked #493. Use the chart and map above to compare Silvia's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1991 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "S" →
- 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.