The first name Sylvia
A girl’s name from Latin meaning “forest”.
3 syllables Female Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Latin origin
Sylvia means “forest” in Latin.
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.
More names that mean forest.
A form of Silvia.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 95 girls were named Sylvia, making it the 426th most popular girls’ name.
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Sylvia with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Sylvia at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 1,017 girls born in the United States were named Sylvia, the 300th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1937, when 4,371 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.
Famous people named Sylvia
65 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Sylvia PlathAmerican poet and writer (1932–1963)
- Sylvia KristelDutch actress, model, recording artist (1952-2012)
- Sylvia A. EarleAmerican oceanographer, born 1935
- Sylvia PankhurstEnglish feminist and socialist (1882–1960)
- Sylvia SidneyAmerican actress (1910–1999)
- Sylvia HoeksDutch actress (born 1983)
- Sylvia MilesAmerican actress (1924-2019)
- Sylvia RiveraAmerican LGBT activist, transgender rights activist, and community worker (1951–2002)
- Sylvia FowlesAmerican basketball player (born 1985)
- Sylvia BeachAmerican-born bookseller and publisher (1887–1962)
- Sylvia RobinsonAmerican singer, record producer, and executive (1936–2011)
- Sylvia NasarAmerican journalist, born 1947
More Latin girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Sylvia mean?
- Sylvia means “forest” in Latin.
- What is the origin of the name Sylvia?
- 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.
- How popular is the name Sylvia?
- In 2025, 95 girls born in England and Wales were named Sylvia, ranking 426th.
- Is Sylvia a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 245,978 US babies named Sylvia since 1880 were girls.
- When was Sylvia most popular?
- 1937 in the United States, when 4,371 babies were named Sylvia, its highest rank at 50th.
- What name is Sylvia a form of?
- Sylvia is a form of Silvia.
- Is Sylvia also a surname?
- Yes. Sylvia is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.