The first name Cynthia
A girl’s name from Greek.
Pronounced /ˈsɪn.θi.ə/ 3 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Greek origin
Borrowed from Latin Cynthia, from Ancient Greek Κυνθία (Kunthía), feminine of Κύνθιος (Kúnthios, “Cynthian (of or pertaining to Mount Cynthus, a mountain of Delos, celebrated as the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis)”).
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 13 girls were named Cynthia, making it the 2,138th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2012, with 23 births (#1,387).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Cynthia with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Cynthia at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 247 girls born in the United States were named Cynthia, the 1,014th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1957, when 39,340 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Cynthia in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Cynthia in French and Latin too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Cynthia
66 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Cynthia NixonAmerican actress and politician, born 1966
- Cynthia ErivoBritish actress and singer-songwriter (born 1987)
- Cynthia LennonFormer wife of John Lennon (1939-2015)
- Cynthia WatrosAmerican actress, born 1968
- Cynthia RothrockAmerican actress and martial artist, born 1957
- Cynthia McKinneyAmerican politician and activist, born 1955
- Cynthia LummisAmerican politician (born 1954)
- Cynthia OzickAmerican writer (born 1928)
- Cynthia RhodesAmerican actress, singer, and dancer (born 1956)
- Cynthia Cooper-DykeAmerican basketball player and coach, born 1963
- Cynthia Addai-RobinsonAmerican actress (born 1980)
- Cynthia GibbAmerican actress, model, born 1963
More Greek girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Cynthia mean?
- Borrowed from Latin Cynthia, from Ancient Greek Κυνθία (Kunthía), feminine of Κύνθιος (Kúnthios, “Cynthian (of or pertaining to Mount Cynthus, a mountain of Delos, celebrated as the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis)”).
- What is the origin of the name Cynthia?
- Borrowed from Latin Cynthia, from Ancient Greek Κυνθία (Kunthía), feminine of Κύνθιος (Kúnthios, “Cynthian (of or pertaining to Mount Cynthus, a mountain of Delos, celebrated as the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis)”).
- How popular is the name Cynthia?
- In 2025, 13 girls born in England and Wales were named Cynthia, ranking 2,138th. Its peak was 2012, with 23 births.
- What are nicknames for Cynthia?
- Common nicknames for Cynthia include Cindy, Cyndi, Cindi, Cyndy, Cyndie.
- Is Cynthia a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 713,412 US babies named Cynthia since 1880 were girls.
- When was Cynthia most popular?
- 1957 in the United States, when 39,340 babies were named Cynthia, its highest rank at 7th.
- How do you pronounce Cynthia?
- Cynthia is /ˈsɪn.θi.ə/, 3 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Cynthia?
- Cinthia, Cinthya, Cintia, Cintya, Cynthea and Cyntheia.