Sylvia

#300 for girls in 2025, 1,017 births · Last seen for boys in 1992 at #8,435
Given to girls 99.6% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
1937 · 4,371 births
Debut · girls
81 births
In top 100 · girls
36 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · girls
245,070
since 1880

Sylvia over time

girls

Rank among girls' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201960peak #50, 1937girls
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#3001,017—
2024#361868—
2023#427724—
2022#437720—
2021#465673—
2020#501606—
2019#510616—
2018#492633—
2017#482647—
2016#502622—
2015#484662—
2014#490638—
2013#507594—
2012#525578—
2011#550531—
2010#557525—
2009#548555—
2008#554556—
2007#532588—
2006#520581—
2005#528547—
2004#556513—
2003#550504—
2002#513535—
2001#517519—
2000#496542—
1999#482539—
1998#468553—
1997#484518—
1996#452553—
1995#436589—
1994#423593—
1993#372685—
1992#361711#8,4355
1991#322831—
1990#334818#8,1175
1989#319799#5,6158
1988#290856#5,2008
1987#285863#4,9688
1986#280879#5,3327
1985#271931#5,1477
1984#2481,003#3,27013
1983#2381,038#5,4846
1982#254984#4,5938
1981#2471,008#5,4686
1980#264962#4,9407
1979#2471,016#6,0565
1978#251947#5,0596
1977#255982#4,1648
1976#2281,057#5,5875
1975#2151,143#3,6599
1974#1891,353#3,5589
1973#1921,347—
1972#1941,465#4,9865
1971#1941,577#2,97311
1970#1891,727#3,07110
1969#1781,814#2,41513
1968#1641,963#2,57611
1967#1562,214#2,35212
1966#1462,411#3,5376
1965#1312,960#2,27013
1964#1362,945#2,54611
1963#1283,280#2,41412
1962#1313,458#1,80520
1961#1243,752#1,77821
1960#1213,824#2,68510
1959#1203,853#1,91618
1958#1144,156#2,37012
1957#1094,310#1,71522
1956#1084,145#2,9698
1955#1074,003#2,30212
1954#1014,083#2,7439
1953#1013,812#3,1437
1952#993,789#2,8758
1951#973,777#2,49510
1950#973,612#2,43810
1949#943,816#2,6069
1948#1003,671#2,6089
1947#974,100#1,91616
1946#824,093#2,03013
1945#833,375#2,13111
1944#833,292#1,81015
1943#773,623#1,69918
1942#723,728#2,9407
1941#653,788#1,75916
1940#623,802#1,51920
1939#623,870#1,42522
1938#564,259#1,97613
1937#504,371#1,62718
1936#534,156#1,35624
1935#603,620#1,58419
1934#703,475#1,78316
1933#842,935#1,99713
1932#962,568#1,84816
1931#1231,927#2,20712
1930#1321,830#2,44411
1929#1192,037#1,93316
1928#1192,222#2,04815
1927#1162,347#2,9129
1926#1072,528#1,98116
1925#1062,537#1,93517
1924#1042,757#3,5057
1923#982,838#2,22414
1922#942,961#3,5327
1921#883,297#1,90418
1920#853,317#4,2865
1919#773,412#3,3917
1918#713,675#3,0968
1917#693,469#2,28012
1916#683,414#2,9268
1915#673,284#2,8298
1914#702,565#1,77213
1913#722,013#1,9459
1912#771,639#1,7469
1911#821,184—
1910#921,000—
1909#93847—
1908#101748—
1907#109611#1,2006
1906#107617#1,2535
1905#120528—
1904#118497—
1903#120464—
1902#136411—
1901#129390—
1900#136446—
1899#130371—
1898#132391—
1897#135357—
1896#140340—
1895#157276—
1894#152288—
1893#144286—
1892#149275—
1891#155218—
1890#158223—
1889#177166—
1888#174166—
1887#173135—
1886#167137—
1885#173112—
1884#19987—
1883#19079—
1882#17879—
1881#18567—
1880#16181—
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Sylvia was already there! It came in at #161, and was given to 81 baby girls.


Quietest stretch: 1880–1884, when fewer than 88 girls a year got the name.

Where Sylvia is popular in 1960

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Sylvia, so not publishedAKMaine: #239 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 1,657 girlsMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Sylvia, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: #105 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 422 girlsNHWashington: #232 for girls · 24 births · 1 in 1,178 girlsWAIdaho: #182 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 714 girlsIDMontana: #254 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 1,337 girlsMTNorth Dakota: #224 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 1,103 girlsNDMinnesota: #297 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 2,422 girlsMNIllinois: #154 for girls · 143 births · 1 in 753 girlsILWisconsin: #242 for girls · 24 births · 1 in 1,872 girlsWIMichigan: #205 for girls · 72 births · 1 in 1,226 girlsMINew York: #150 for girls · 251 births · 1 in 668 girlsNYMassachusetts: #243 for girls · 26 births · 1 in 2,027 girlsMARhode Island: #183 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 1,167 girlsRIOregon: #234 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 1,155 girlsORNevada: #134 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 465 girlsNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Sylvia, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Sylvia, so not publishedSDIowa: #323 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 2,814 girlsIAIndiana: #197 for girls · 45 births · 1 in 1,119 girlsINOhio: #202 for girls · 89 births · 1 in 1,182 girlsOHPennsylvania: #183 for girls · 108 births · 1 in 1,034 girlsPANew Jersey: #172 for girls · 65 births · 1 in 889 girlsNJConnecticut: #205 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 1,296 girlsCTCalifornia: #76 for girls · 540 births · 1 in 320 girlsCAUtah: #135 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 561 girlsUTColorado: #193 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 888 girlsCONebraska: #265 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 1,808 girlsNEMissouri: #174 for girls · 51 births · 1 in 878 girlsMOKentucky: #177 for girls · 31 births · 1 in 1,032 girlsKYWest Virginia: #196 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 1,160 girlsWVVirginia: #105 for girls · 94 births · 1 in 423 girlsVAMaryland: #141 for girls · 45 births · 1 in 670 girlsMDDelaware: #166 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 759 girlsDEArizona: #41 for girls · 84 births · 1 in 180 girlsAZNew Mexico: #46 for girls · 65 births · 1 in 190 girlsNMKansas: #313 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 2,102 girlsKSArkansas: #138 for girls · 26 births · 1 in 684 girlsARTennessee: #111 for girls · 71 births · 1 in 513 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #68 for girls · 175 births · 1 in 277 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #60 for girls · 101 births · 1 in 258 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: #141 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 629 girlsDCOklahoma: #197 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 999 girlsOKLouisiana: #94 for girls · 101 births · 1 in 384 girlsLAMississippi: #84 for girls · 75 births · 1 in 338 girlsMSAlabama: #114 for girls · 65 births · 1 in 534 girlsALGeorgia: #69 for girls · 149 births · 1 in 299 girlsGAHawaii: #226 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 858 girlsHITexas: #23 for girls · 930 births · 1 in 122 girlsTXFlorida: #99 for girls · 119 births · 1 in 422 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Texas#23 · 1 in 122
  2. Arizona#41 · 1 in 180
  3. New Mexico#46 · 1 in 190
  4. South Carolina#60 · 1 in 258
  5. North Carolina#68 · 1 in 277

Best ever in a state: #16 in New York, 1913.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Texas#239301 in 122
Arizona#41841 in 180
New Mexico#46651 in 190
South Carolina#601011 in 258
North Carolina#681751 in 277
Georgia#691491 in 299
California#765401 in 320
Mississippi#84751 in 338
Louisiana#941011 in 384
Florida#991191 in 422
New Hampshire#105131 in 422
Virginia#105941 in 423
Tennessee#111711 in 513
Alabama#114651 in 534
Nevada#13451 in 465
Utah#135191 in 561
Arkansas#138261 in 684
District of Columbia#141211 in 629
Maryland#141451 in 670
New York#1502511 in 668
Illinois#1541431 in 753
Delaware#16661 in 759
New Jersey#172651 in 889
Missouri#174511 in 878
Kentucky#177311 in 1,032
Idaho#18291 in 714
Pennsylvania#1831081 in 1,034
Rhode Island#18371 in 1,167
Colorado#193221 in 888
West Virginia#196151 in 1,160
Indiana#197451 in 1,119
Oklahoma#197211 in 999
Ohio#202891 in 1,182
Connecticut#205191 in 1,296
Michigan#205721 in 1,226
North Dakota#22461 in 1,103
Hawaii#22671 in 858
Washington#232241 in 1,178
Oregon#234141 in 1,155
Maine#23961 in 1,657
Wisconsin#242241 in 1,872
Massachusetts#243261 in 2,027
Montana#25451 in 1,337
Nebraska#26581 in 1,808
Minnesota#297161 in 2,422
Kansas#313101 in 2,102
Iowa#323101 in 2,814
Alaska———
South Dakota———
Vermont———
Wyoming———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Sylvia
Momentum · girls
Rising
  • 61 spots since 2024 (#361 → #300)
  • 201 spots since 2020 (#501 → #300)
  • 184 spots since 2015 (#484 → #300)
  • Biggest jump: 66 spots in 2024 (#427 → #361)
  • Biggest drop: 51 spots in 1994 (#372 → #423)
Rise & fade · girls
57 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1937 at #50 (4,371 births)
  • Births halved by 1968, 31 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 100 for 36 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 36 yrs · run 1932–1952
  • Top 1,000: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
Share of babies · girls
1 in 243
  • Highest: 1 in 243 girls born in 1937 were named Sylvia (0.41%)
  • Latest: 1 in 1,580 girls born in 2025 (0.06%)
Era · girls
The 1950s
  • 16.1% of all girls named Sylvia (39,540) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s1,109#161 (1880)#178
1890s3,025#130 (1899)#145
1900s5,559#93 (1909)#117
1910s25,655#67 (1915)#75
1920s26,841#85 (1920)#104
1930s33,011#50 (1937)#79
1940s37,288#62 (1940)#82
1950s39,540#97 (1951)#105
1960s28,621#121 (1960)#142
1970s12,614#189 (1970)#215
1980s9,323#238 (1983)#270
1990s6,390#322 (1991)#413
2000s5,440#496 (2000)#531
2010s6,046#482 (2017)#510
2020s4,608#300 (2025)#415

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Sylvia in 1960

girls
#121
3,824 births · 1 in 529 girls
boys
#2,685
10 births · 1 in 213,232 boys

Top girls' names in 1960

  1. #1Mary51,472
  2. #2Susan39,208
  3. #3Linda37,316
  4. #4Karen36,378
  5. #5Donna34,138
  6. #6Lisa33,693
  7. #7Patricia32,113
  8. #8Debra26,732
  9. #9Cynthia26,706
  10. #10Deborah25,266
  11. #121Sylvia3,824

Top boys' names in 1960

  1. #1David85,929
  2. #2Michael84,153
  3. #3James76,815
  4. #4John76,096
  5. #5Robert72,357
  6. #6Mark58,727
  7. #7William49,361
  8. #8Richard43,553
  9. #9Thomas39,278
  10. #10Steven33,878
  11. #2,685Sylvia10
More about 1960

girls

2,021,941 girls got a published name in 1960; 1 in 529 of them was named Sylvia, which outranked 98.3% of the 7,332 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 17.0% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Sylvia
  1. #117Marilyn4,071
  2. #119Alice4,051
  3. #120Sue4,009
  4. #121Sylvia3,824
  5. #122Julia3,790
  6. #123Sally3,754
  7. #124Tamara3,665
Biggest movers since 1959
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,798Lisha#2,395 → #597
  2. ↑ 1,223Elana#2,108 → #885
  3. ↑ 667Leisha#1,537 → #870
  4. ↑ 513Misty#1,214 → #701
  5. ↑ 462Loriann#1,396 → #934
Fallers
  1. ↓ 421Taryn#771 → #1,192
  2. ↓ 335Cheryll#993 → #1,328
  3. ↓ 305Marilynn#724 → #1,029
  4. ↓ 304Drema#997 → #1,301
  5. ↓ 258Merrie#978 → #1,236

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

2,132,320 boys got a published name in 1960; 1 in 213,232 of them was named Sylvia, which outranked 41.6% of the 4,598 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 29.1% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Sylvia
  1. #2,535Ysidro11
  2. #2,535Zach11
  3. #2,535Zvi11
  4. #2,685Sylvia10
  5. #2,685Abran10
  6. #2,685Alejo10
  7. #2,685Alferd10
  8. #2,871Able9
  9. #2,871Adelbert9
  10. #2,871Adell9

Tied with 185 names at #2,685; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1959
Risers
  1. ↑ 3,061Stephon#3,988 → #927
  2. ↑ 1,039Kennedy#1,759 → #720
  3. ↑ 489Darryle#1,416 → #927
  4. ↑ 379Garret#1,360 → #981
  5. ↑ 373Darryll#1,324 → #951
Fallers
  1. ↓ 333Grayling#987 → #1,320
  2. ↓ 327Lucious#946 → #1,273
  3. ↓ 274Brion#919 → #1,193
  4. ↓ 261Gail#747 → #1,008
  5. ↓ 254Delton#939 → #1,193

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1960 →