Sylvan
#8,362 for girls in 2025, 12 births · #1,668 for boys in 2025, 99 births
Given to boys 96.6% of the time
- Peak · boys
- 1912 · 53 births
- Debut · boys
- 7 births
- In top 100 · boys
- neverof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 3,684since 1886
Sylvan over time
Rank among boys' names. Sylvan has never cracked the top 500 here.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | #8,362 | 12 | #1,668 | 99 |
| 2024 | #7,251 | 15 | #1,891 | 84 |
| 2023 | #8,989 | 11 | #2,014 | 75 |
| 2022 | #11,231 | 8 | #1,938 | 80 |
| 2021 | #10,292 | 9 | #2,193 | 64 |
| 2020 | #12,142 | 7 | #2,728 | 45 |
| 2019 | — | #2,656 | 48 | |
| 2018 | #9,151 | 11 | #3,446 | 32 |
| 2017 | — | #3,249 | 35 | |
| 2016 | — | #2,783 | 43 | |
| 2015 | #11,835 | 8 | #4,080 | 25 |
| 2014 | — | #3,154 | 35 | |
| 2013 | #16,547 | 5 | #3,582 | 29 |
| 2012 | — | #3,450 | 31 | |
| 2011 | — | #3,994 | 25 | |
| 2010 | — | #3,812 | 27 | |
| 2009 | #12,429 | 8 | #4,748 | 20 |
| 2008 | — | #4,714 | 20 | |
| 2007 | — | #4,996 | 18 | |
| 2006 | #13,606 | 7 | #3,888 | 25 |
| 2005 | — | #4,631 | 18 | |
| 2004 | #16,099 | 5 | #4,129 | 21 |
| 2003 | #13,844 | 6 | #4,114 | 20 |
| 2002 | #15,432 | 5 | #3,095 | 29 |
| 2001 | — | #3,721 | 22 | |
| 2000 | #13,154 | 6 | #3,640 | 22 |
| 1999 | — | #5,656 | 11 | |
| 1998 | — | #3,708 | 19 | |
| 1997 | — | #5,288 | 11 | |
| 1996 | — | #5,982 | 9 | |
| 1995 | — | #4,791 | 12 | |
| 1994 | — | #3,911 | 16 | |
| 1993 | #11,780 | 6 | #3,246 | 20 |
| 1992 | — | #4,564 | 12 | |
| 1991 | — | #6,519 | 7 | |
| 1990 | — | #3,779 | 15 | |
| 1989 | — | #4,527 | 11 | |
| 1988 | — | #3,705 | 13 | |
| 1987 | — | #3,201 | 15 | |
| 1986 | — | #4,853 | 8 | |
| 1985 | — | #3,216 | 14 | |
| 1984 | — | #2,706 | 17 | |
| 1983 | — | #3,230 | 13 | |
| 1982 | — | #4,234 | 9 | |
| 1981 | — | #3,221 | 13 | |
| 1980 | — | #3,098 | 14 | |
| 1979 | — | #4,068 | 9 | |
| 1978 | — | #5,059 | 6 | |
| 1977 | — | #3,836 | 9 | |
| 1976 | — | #3,724 | 9 | |
| 1975 | — | #2,361 | 18 | |
| 1974 | — | #3,837 | 8 | |
| 1973 | — | #3,013 | 11 | |
| 1972 | — | #2,534 | 14 | |
| 1971 | — | #2,366 | 16 | |
| 1970 | — | #4,724 | 5 | |
| 1969 | — | #3,935 | 6 | |
| 1968 | — | #3,365 | 7 | |
| 1967 | — | — | ||
| 1966 | — | #1,891 | 17 | |
| 1965 | — | #3,930 | 5 | |
| 1964 | — | #1,900 | 18 | |
| 1963 | — | #2,414 | 12 | |
| 1962 | — | #2,673 | 10 | |
| 1961 | — | #2,148 | 15 | |
| 1960 | — | #1,910 | 18 | |
| 1959 | — | #2,111 | 15 | |
| 1958 | — | #2,177 | 14 | |
| 1957 | — | #2,019 | 16 | |
| 1956 | — | #2,015 | 16 | |
| 1955 | — | #2,435 | 11 | |
| 1954 | — | #2,044 | 15 | |
| 1953 | — | #1,836 | 18 | |
| 1952 | — | #1,406 | 29 | |
| 1951 | — | #1,725 | 19 | |
| 1950 | — | #1,464 | 25 | |
| 1949 | — | #1,322 | 30 | |
| 1948 | — | #1,460 | 25 | |
| 1947 | — | #1,363 | 29 | |
| 1946 | — | #1,557 | 21 | |
| 1945 | — | #1,536 | 19 | |
| 1944 | — | #1,193 | 31 | |
| 1943 | — | #1,170 | 34 | |
| 1942 | — | #1,298 | 29 | |
| 1941 | — | #1,254 | 28 | |
| 1940 | — | #1,183 | 32 | |
| 1939 | — | #1,141 | 32 | |
| 1938 | — | #1,125 | 33 | |
| 1937 | — | #1,148 | 33 | |
| 1936 | — | #1,068 | 36 | |
| 1935 | — | #956 | 44 | |
| 1934 | — | #1,038 | 39 | |
| 1933 | — | #1,078 | 37 | |
| 1932 | — | #915 | 50 | |
| 1931 | — | #1,065 | 40 | |
| 1930 | — | #990 | 47 | |
| 1929 | — | #914 | 54 | |
| 1928 | — | #950 | 51 | |
| 1927 | — | #964 | 52 | |
| 1926 | — | #765 | 71 | |
| 1925 | — | #723 | 80 | |
| 1924 | — | #787 | 73 | |
| 1923 | — | #803 | 69 | |
| 1922 | — | #840 | 66 | |
| 1921 | — | #768 | 76 | |
| 1920 | — | #812 | 68 | |
| 1919 | — | #766 | 71 | |
| 1918 | — | #604 | 103 | |
| 1917 | — | #713 | 73 | |
| 1916 | — | #636 | 84 | |
| 1915 | — | #734 | 66 | |
| 1914 | — | #724 | 52 | |
| 1913 | — | #641 | 48 | |
| 1912 | — | #552 | 53 | |
| 1911 | — | #624 | 24 | |
| 1910 | — | #981 | 11 | |
| 1909 | — | #951 | 10 | |
| 1908 | — | #744 | 13 | |
| 1907 | — | #735 | 13 | |
| 1906 | — | #674 | 13 | |
| 1905 | — | — | ||
| 1904 | — | #874 | 8 | |
| 1903 | — | #846 | 8 | |
| 1902 | — | — | ||
| 1901 | — | — | ||
| 1900 | — | #743 | 12 | |
| 1899 | — | #613 | 11 | |
| 1898 | — | — | ||
| 1897 | — | #852 | 7 | |
| 1896 | — | #982 | 6 | |
| 1895 | — | — | ||
| 1894 | — | #1,074 | 5 | |
| 1893 | — | — | ||
| 1892 | — | #1,066 | 5 | |
| 1891 | — | #963 | 5 | |
| 1890 | — | — | ||
| 1889 | — | — | ||
| 1888 | — | #1,031 | 5 | |
| 1887 | — | — | ||
| 1886 | — | #758 | 7 | |
| 1885 | — | — | ||
| 1884 | — | — | ||
| 1883 | — | — | ||
| 1882 | — | — | ||
| 1881 | — | — | ||
| 1880 | — | — | ||
The first year at least five boys were named Sylvan! It came in at #758, and was given to 7 baby boys.
Quietest stretch: 1887–1895, when fewer than 6 boys a year got the name.
Where Sylvan is popular in 1940
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
- Pennsylvania#423 · 1 in 10,969
Best ever in a state: #102 in Maryland, 1913.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | #423 | 7 | 1 in 10,969 |
| Alabama | — | — | — |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
| Arkansas | — | — | — |
| California | — | — | — |
| Colorado | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Florida | — | — | — |
| Georgia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Illinois | — | — | — |
| Indiana | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
| Kentucky | — | — | — |
| Louisiana | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Maryland | — | — | — |
| Massachusetts | — | — | — |
| Michigan | — | — | — |
| Minnesota | — | — | — |
| Mississippi | — | — | — |
| Missouri | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Jersey | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| New York | — | — | — |
| North Carolina | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Ohio | — | — | — |
| Oklahoma | — | — | — |
| Oregon | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Carolina | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Tennessee | — | — | — |
| Texas | — | — | — |
| Utah | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| Virginia | — | — | — |
| Washington | — | — | — |
| West Virginia | — | — | — |
| Wisconsin | — | — | — |
| Wyoming | — | — | — |
Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys 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 Sylvan
- 223 spots since 2024 (#1,891 → #1,668)
- 1,060 spots since 2020 (#2,728 → #1,668)
- 2,412 spots since 2015 (#4,080 → #1,668)
- Biggest jump: 357 spots in 1911 (#981 → #624)
- Biggest drop: 207 spots in 1909 (#744 → #951)
- Debuted 1886
- Peaked 1912 at #552 (53 births)
- Births halved by 1945, 33 yrs later
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: never
- Top 1,000: 35 yrs · run 1906–1930
- Highest: 1 in 8,112 boys born in 1912 were named Sylvan (0.01%)
- Latest: 1 in 17,253 boys born in 2025 (0.01%)
- 17.9% of all boys named Sylvan (660) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 12 | #758 (1886) | #895 |
| 1890s | 39 | #613 (1899) | #925 |
| 1900s | 77 | #674 (1906) | #795 |
| 1910s | 585 | #552 (1912) | #698 |
| 1920s | 660 | #723 (1925) | #833 |
| 1930s | 391 | #915 (1932) | #1,052 |
| 1940s | 278 | #1,170 (1943) | #1,334 |
| 1950s | 178 | #1,406 (1952) | #1,923 |
| 1960s | 108 | #1,891 (1966) | #2,685 |
| 1970s | 105 | #2,361 (1975) | #3,552 |
| 1980s | 127 | #2,706 (1984) | #3,599 |
| 1990s | 132 | #3,246 (1993) | #4,744 |
| 2000s | 215 | #3,095 (2002) | #4,168 |
| 2010s | 330 | #2,656 (2019) | #3,421 |
| 2020s | 447 | #1,668 (2025) | #2,072 |
All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.
Sylvan in 1940
Top boys' names in 1940
More about 1940
boys
1,159,172 boys got a published name in 1940; 1 in 36,224 of them was named Sylvan, which outranked 70.0% of the 3,937 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.5% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).
- #1,156Thurston33
- #1,156Verle33
- #1,156Wayman33
- #1,183Sylvan32
- #1,183Alec32
- #1,183Beryl32
- #1,183Brendan32
- #1,208Alonza31
- #1,208Arland31
- #1,208Bailey31
Tied with 24 names at #1,183; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.