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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201910peak #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 1910

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Sylvia, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 girls named Sylvia, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Sylvia, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Sylvia, so not publishedNHWashington: #56 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 181 girlsWAIdaho: fewer than 5 girls named Sylvia, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Sylvia, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: #75 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 269 girlsNDMinnesota: #57 for girls · 28 births · 1 in 208 girlsMNIllinois: #59 for girls · 76 births · 1 in 242 girlsILWisconsin: #39 for girls · 48 births · 1 in 142 girlsWIMichigan: #80 for girls · 26 births · 1 in 334 girlsMINew York: #27 for girls · 273 births · 1 in 119 girlsNYMassachusetts: #71 for girls · 29 births · 1 in 363 girlsMARhode Island: #62 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 224 girlsRIOregon: #43 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 114 girlsORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Sylvia, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Sylvia, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: #42 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 126 girlsSDIowa: #86 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 357 girlsIAIndiana: #81 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 336 girlsINOhio: #91 for girls · 38 births · 1 in 394 girlsOHPennsylvania: #88 for girls · 71 births · 1 in 445 girlsPANew Jersey: #83 for girls · 23 births · 1 in 376 girlsNJConnecticut: #70 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 264 girlsCTCalifornia: #154 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 744 girlsCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Sylvia, so not publishedUTColorado: #68 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 225 girlsCONebraska: #75 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 269 girlsNEMissouri: #78 for girls · 36 births · 1 in 304 girlsMOKentucky: #147 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 626 girlsKYWest Virginia: #60 for girls · 29 births · 1 in 197 girlsWVVirginia: #161 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 829 girlsVAMaryland: #119 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 530 girlsMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Sylvia, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 girls named Sylvia, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 girls named Sylvia, so not publishedNMKansas: #78 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 299 girlsKSArkansas: #169 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 685 girlsARTennessee: #272 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 1,746 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #196 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 1,146 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #157 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 780 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Sylvia, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #120 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 428 girlsOKLouisiana: #280 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 1,618 girlsLAMississippi: #226 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 1,163 girlsMSAlabama: #306 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 2,184 girlsALGeorgia: #186 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 1,114 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Sylvia, so not publishedHITexas: #282 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 1,380 girlsTXFlorida: fewer than 5 girls named Sylvia, so not publishedFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. New York#27 · 1 in 119
  2. Wisconsin#39 · 1 in 142
  3. South Dakota#42 · 1 in 126
  4. Oregon#43 · 1 in 114
  5. Washington#56 · 1 in 181

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
New York#272731 in 119
Wisconsin#39481 in 142
South Dakota#42141 in 126
Oregon#43121 in 114
Washington#56151 in 181
Minnesota#57281 in 208
Illinois#59761 in 242
West Virginia#60291 in 197
Rhode Island#6261 in 224
Colorado#68111 in 225
Connecticut#70121 in 264
Massachusetts#71291 in 363
Nebraska#75131 in 269
North Dakota#7581 in 269
Kansas#78161 in 299
Missouri#78361 in 304
Michigan#80261 in 334
Indiana#81221 in 336
New Jersey#83231 in 376
Iowa#86161 in 357
Pennsylvania#88711 in 445
Ohio#91381 in 394
Maryland#11991 in 530
Oklahoma#120171 in 428
Kentucky#147171 in 626
California#15481 in 744
South Carolina#157121 in 780
Virginia#161131 in 829
Arkansas#169111 in 685
Georgia#186141 in 1,114
North Carolina#196111 in 1,146
Mississippi#22691 in 1,163
Tennessee#27261 in 1,746
Louisiana#28061 in 1,618
Texas#282141 in 1,380
Alabama#30661 in 2,184
Alaska———
Arizona———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Florida———
Hawaii———
Idaho———
Maine———
Montana———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Mexico———
Utah———
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 1910

girls
#92
1,000 births · 1 in 397 girls

Top girls' names in 1910

  1. #1Mary22,848
  2. #2Helen10,479
  3. #3Margaret8,226
  4. #4Dorothy7,318
  5. #5Ruth7,212
  6. #6Anna6,436
  7. #7Elizabeth5,800
  8. #8Mildred5,692
  9. #9Marie4,790
  10. #10Alice4,671
  11. #92Sylvia1,000
More about 1910

girls

396,503 girls got a published name in 1910; 1 in 397 of them was named Sylvia, which outranked 96.7% of the 2,790 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 21.1% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Sylvia
  1. #89Violet1,037
  2. #90Velma1,035
  3. #91Georgia1,010
  4. #92Sylvia1,000
  5. #93Lula975
  6. #94Ada960
  7. #95Maggie940
Biggest movers since 1909
Risers
  1. ↑ 960Alys#1,957 → #997
  2. ↑ 849Lannie#1,763 → #914
  3. ↑ 766Luz#1,763 → #997
  4. ↑ 762Vivien#1,607 → #845
  5. ↑ 693Buna#1,607 → #914
Fallers
  1. ↓ 864Earl#909 → #1,773
  2. ↓ 864Fleta#909 → #1,773
  3. ↓ 783Elba#990 → #1,773
  4. ↓ 644Odile#990 → #1,634
  5. ↓ 576Claribel#845 → #1,421

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

See the top 100 for 1910 →