Sylvia is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Sylvia means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Sylvia across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Sylvia has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Sylvia is a girl name of Latin origin meaning “of the forest”. from the Latin silva, wood.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 245,978 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 1,246 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 285 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 1,095 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Sylvia per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1937 (4,389/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2025 (95/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1972 (70/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1974 (26/yr).
Sylvia has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1937, when it ranked #95 nationally (given to 4,389 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1930s.
Sylvie · Silvia · Silvio · Sylva · Sylvio · Zylpha · Selva · Syliva
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