Sylvia

Did you know?

A few things about Sylvia you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Sylvia

Sylvia Pankhurst

English feminist and socialist (1882–1960)

Choose Sylvia and your child shares a first name with Sylvia Pankhurst, an English feminist and socialist. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Sylvia, like who?” Sylvia Pankhurst's Wikipedia article is available in 42 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Sylvia Pankhurst on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Unknown photographer, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 1,580 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Sylvia, 1,017 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Sylvia would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistorySylvia has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Sylvias, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1937, when it ranked #50. Today it's #300, so it could be due a comeback.
• 📈Then vs nowSylvia is 2.1× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 3,350 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 1,580.
• 🚀TrendSylvia has climbed 201 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #300. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
• 📍Where it's lovedSylvia is most popular in Minnesota, where it ranks #119, followed by Pennsylvania (#139) and Rhode Island (#150). It makes the top 1,000 in almost every state.
• 💬MeaningIn Latin, Sylvia means “of the forest”.

About the name Sylvia

Sylvia is a girl name of Latin origin meaning “of the forest”. It has 6 letters and 2 syllables, starting with S and ending in “-via”. US birth records list Sylvia for girls from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1937, when it ranked #50 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #300, with 1,017 babies.

Origin:Latin names