Sylvia
Girl name · #300 in 2025 · Uniqueness 31/100
In 2025, 1,017 baby girls were named Sylvia, placing it at #300 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #484, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 1,770 girls born in 2025 was named Sylvia.
The 145-year story
Sylvia first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 81 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1937, when 4,371 girls were named Sylvia — good for #50 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Sylvia per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Sylvia against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Sylvia in class?
Sylvia scores 31 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "popular" band. A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Sylvia is most common
Geography matters for names, and Sylvia is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Sylvias were PA (75), OH (57), NY (50), MI (48), CA (45). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Sylvia
Statistically, parents drawn to Sylvia tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Gloria, Elaine, Virginia, Loretta, and Martha.
GloriaElaineVirginiaLorettaMarthaBonnieRamonaDiana
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Sylvia | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,017 | #300 |
| 2024 | 868 | #361 |
| 2023 | 724 | #427 |
| 2022 | 720 | #437 |
| 2021 | 673 | #465 |
| 2020 | 606 | #501 |
| 2019 | 616 | #510 |
| 2018 | 633 | #492 |
| 2017 | 647 | #482 |
| 2016 | 622 | #502 |
| 2015 | 662 | #484 |
| 2014 | 638 | #490 |
| 2013 | 594 | #507 |
| 2012 | 578 | #525 |
| 2011 | 531 | #550 |
| 2010 | 525 | #557 |
| 2009 | 555 | #548 |
| 2008 | 556 | #554 |
| 2007 | 588 | #532 |
| 2006 | 581 | #520 |
| 2005 | 547 | #528 |
| 2004 | 513 | #556 |
| 2003 | 504 | #550 |
| 2002 | 535 | #513 |
| 2001 | 519 | #517 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Sylvia a popular girl name?
Sylvia ranked #300 among girls in 2025 with 1,017 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #484.
When was the name Sylvia most popular?
Sylvia peaked in 1937, when 4,371 American girls received the name (ranked #50 that year). Since 1937 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Sylvia?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 1,770 newborn American girls was named Sylvia. It scores 31/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "popular".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.