Sylvia
Sylvia is a feminine given name of Latin origin. The French form is Sylvie. 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.
Meaning & Origin of Sylvia
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Sylvia is a feminine given name of Latin origin. The French form is Sylvie. 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.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Sylvia
Sylvia first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 81 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1937, when 4,371 Sylvias were born — ranking #50 that year. As of 2026, Sylvia ranks #348 for baby girls with 885 births, rising sharply (+28% over the past five years). In total, more than 246K Sylvias 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 Sylvia
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Sylvia (singer) (born 1956), American country singer born Sylvia Jane Kirby
- Sylvia Anderson (1927–2016), British voice artist and film producer
- Sylvia Ashby (1908–1978), Australian market-researcher
- Sylvia Ashton-Warner (1908–1984), New Zealand writer, poet and educator
- Sylvia Beach (1887-1962), American-born bookseller and publisher
- Sylvia Bermann (1922–2012), Argentine psychiatrist, public health specialist, essayist, and montenero
- Sylvia Browne (1936–2013), American psychic
- Sylvia Chang (born 1953), Taiwanese actress, producer and director
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Sylvia
Phonetically similar names — useful when Sylvia 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 Sylvia
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About the name Sylvia
Sylvia is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 246K births in the dataset. Sylvia's peak popularity came in 1937 when it ranked #50. Use the chart and map above to compare Sylvia's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1937 →
- Names of the 1930s →
- 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.