# Sylvia (first name)

Source: https://namelineage.com/first-name/sylvia/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. US counts from the Social Security Administration; England and Wales counts from the Office for National Statistics; meaning and etymology from Wiktionary. Data updated 2026-11-11.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Usually given to | girls |
| Origin | Latin |
| Meaning | “forest” |
| Pronunciation | not recorded |
| Nicknames | none recorded |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |
| US babies named this | 245,978 since 1880 |
| Boys / girls in the US | 908 / 245,070 (100% girls) |
| Babies in England and Wales | 1,313, 1996 to 2025 |

## Etymology

Feminine form of a Medieval form of Silvius, from Latin silva (“forest”). 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.

## What it means

Sylvia is grouped under forest.

## Popularity

The last 15 years of each series. A year is missing when too few babies were given the name for the agency to publish it: five in the US, three in England and Wales.

### United States, girls

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 531 | 551 |
| 2012 | 578 | 526 |
| 2013 | 594 | 507 |
| 2014 | 638 | 490 |
| 2015 | 662 | 484 |
| 2016 | 622 | 502 |
| 2017 | 647 | 483 |
| 2018 | 633 | 492 |
| 2019 | 616 | 511 |
| 2020 | 606 | 502 |
| 2021 | 673 | 467 |
| 2022 | 720 | 439 |
| 2023 | 724 | 427 |
| 2024 | 868 | 361 |
| 2025 | 1,017 | 300 |

### United States, boys

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 8 | 4,536 |
| 1978 | 6 | 5,679 |
| 1979 | 5 | 6,960 |
| 1980 | 7 | 5,449 |
| 1981 | 6 | 6,159 |
| 1982 | 8 | 4,936 |
| 1983 | 6 | 6,128 |
| 1984 | 13 | 3,433 |
| 1985 | 7 | 5,694 |
| 1986 | 7 | 5,856 |
| 1987 | 8 | 5,398 |
| 1988 | 8 | 5,675 |
| 1989 | 8 | 6,158 |
| 1990 | 5 | 9,336 |
| 1992 | 5 | 9,641 |

### England and Wales, girls

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 48 | 776 |
| 2012 | 45 | 844 |
| 2013 | 42 | 882 |
| 2014 | 61 | 652 |
| 2015 | 63 | 649 |
| 2016 | 59 | 693 |
| 2017 | 59 | 695 |
| 2018 | 67 | 614 |
| 2019 | 70 | 574 |
| 2020 | 58 | 643 |
| 2021 | 67 | 581 |
| 2022 | 60 | 630 |
| 2023 | 86 | 461 |
| 2024 | 62 | 625 |
| 2025 | 95 | 426 |

## 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 Pankhurst, English feminist and socialist (1882–1960)
- Sylvia Sidney, American actress (1910–1999)
- Sylvia Hoeks, Dutch actress (born 1983)
- Sylvia Miles, American actress (1924-2019)
- Sylvia Rivera, American LGBT activist, transgender rights activist, and community worker (1951–2002)
- Sylvia Fowles, American basketball player (born 1985)
- Sylvia Beach, American-born bookseller and publisher (1887–1962)
- Sylvia Robinson, American singer, record producer, and executive (1936–2011)
- Sylvia Nasar, American journalist

## How to read these numbers

A count is babies registered with that name in that year, not people alive now, so a name common a century ago can have a large total and few recent births.