The first name Sydney
A girl’s name.
Pronounced [ˈsɪd̥ni] 2 syllables Female Also a surname
Meaning and origin
For the surname and given name, see Sidney. The cities in Australia and Canada are named after British politician Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney (1733–1800).
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 151 girls were named Sydney, making it the 295th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2003, with 223 births (#211).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Sydney with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Sydney at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 873 girls born in the United States were named Sydney, the 348th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 2000, when 10,243 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.
Sydney in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Sydney in Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Polish and Swedish too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Sydney
63 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Sydney SweeneyAmerican actress (born 1997)
- Sydney PollackAmerican film director, producer and actor (1934-2008)
- Sydney McLaughlin-LevroneAmerican hurdler and sprinter (born 1999)
- Sydney ChaplinAmerican film and theater actor (1926-2009)
- Sydney ChapmanBritish mathematician and geophysicist (1888–1970)
- Sydney GreenstreetBritish-American actor (1879-1954)
- Sydney LerouxCanadian-born American soccer player, born 1990
- Sydney ChaplinEnglish actor (1885-1965)
- Sydney SmithEnglish wit, writer, Anglican cleric (1771-1845)
- Sydney ChandlerAmerican actress, born 1996
- Sydney LohmannGerman association football player, born 2000
- Sydney Tamiia PoitierAmerican actress, born 1973
Questions
- What does the name Sydney mean?
- For the surname and given name, see Sidney. The cities in Australia and Canada are named after British politician Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney (1733–1800).
- How popular is the name Sydney?
- In 2025, 151 girls born in England and Wales were named Sydney, ranking 295th. Its peak was 2003, with 223 births.
- What are nicknames for Sydney?
- Common nicknames for Sydney include Syd.
- Is Sydney a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 95% of the 187,700 US babies named Sydney since 1880 were girls.
- When was Sydney most popular?
- 2000 in the United States, when 10,243 babies were named Sydney, its highest rank at 23rd.
- How do you pronounce Sydney?
- Sydney is [ˈsɪd̥ni], 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Sydney?
- Sidney, Sidny, Cidnee, Cidney, Cydni and Cydnee.
- Is Sydney also a surname?
- Yes. Sydney is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.