Sylvia
Girl nameSylvia has been given to 245,978 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 1937 and currently ranks #300 for girls (2025).
Meaning & origin
Feminine form of a Medieval form of Silvius, from Latin silva (“forest”)API. In myths, Rhea Silvia was the mother of famous twins Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. 6th-century saint Silvia was the mother of the pope Gregory the Great.
Origin: Latin
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025
Total babies
245,978
Peak year
1937 (4,389 babies)
Rank in 2025
#300 for girls
First recorded
1880
10-year trend
▲ +54%
Gender split
100% girls / 0% boys
Famous people named Sylvia
Sylvia Plath
American poet and writer (1932–1963)
Sylvia Kristel
Dutch actress, model, recording artist (1952-2012)
Sylvia A. Earle
American oceanographer
Sylvia Sidney
American actress (1910–1999)
Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).
Names with a similar vibe
Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Sylvia.
Get new name insights first
Occasional updates when we add new data & tools. No spam, unsubscribe anytime by replying to any email or writing to hello@zalize.com.
By subscribing you agree to our privacy policy. We store only your email address and the date you signed up.