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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201911peak #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 1911

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Sylvia, so not publishedAKMaine: #88 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 289 girlsMEVermont: #56 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 179 girlsVTNew Hampshire: #67 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 215 girlsNHWashington: #87 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 343 girlsWAIdaho: fewer than 5 girls named Sylvia, so not publishedIDMontana: #74 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 220 girlsMTNorth Dakota: #59 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 188 girlsNDMinnesota: #47 for girls · 39 births · 1 in 165 girlsMNIllinois: #57 for girls · 88 births · 1 in 220 girlsILWisconsin: #66 for girls · 27 births · 1 in 263 girlsWIMichigan: #59 for girls · 39 births · 1 in 241 girlsMINew York: #21 for girls · 374 births · 1 in 99 girlsNYMassachusetts: #73 for girls · 41 births · 1 in 332 girlsMARhode Island: #86 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 337 girlsRIOregon: #76 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 263 girlsORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Sylvia, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Sylvia, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Sylvia, so not publishedSDIowa: #94 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 411 girlsIAIndiana: #111 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 525 girlsINOhio: #79 for girls · 50 births · 1 in 336 girlsOHPennsylvania: #86 for girls · 87 births · 1 in 397 girlsPANew Jersey: #60 for girls · 38 births · 1 in 264 girlsNJConnecticut: #77 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 323 girlsCTCalifornia: #109 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 472 girlsCAUtah: #51 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 153 girlsUTColorado: #114 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 469 girlsCONebraska: #89 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 339 girlsNEMissouri: #76 for girls · 40 births · 1 in 286 girlsMOKentucky: #141 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 609 girlsKYWest Virginia: #53 for girls · 31 births · 1 in 200 girlsWVVirginia: #152 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 765 girlsVAMaryland: #85 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 409 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: #93 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 359 girlsKSArkansas: #158 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 597 girlsARTennessee: #173 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 831 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #297 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 2,562 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #234 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 1,517 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Sylvia, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #115 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 379 girlsOKLouisiana: #193 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 901 girlsLAMississippi: #200 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 1,020 girlsMSAlabama: #190 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 998 girlsALGeorgia: #207 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 1,251 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Sylvia, so not publishedHITexas: #239 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 1,148 girlsTXFlorida: #130 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 468 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. New York#21 · 1 in 99
  2. Minnesota#47 · 1 in 165
  3. Utah#51 · 1 in 153
  4. West Virginia#53 · 1 in 200
  5. Vermont#56 · 1 in 179

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
New York#213741 in 99
Minnesota#47391 in 165
Utah#5181 in 153
West Virginia#53311 in 200
Vermont#5651 in 179
Illinois#57881 in 220
Michigan#59391 in 241
North Dakota#59121 in 188
New Jersey#60381 in 264
Wisconsin#66271 in 263
New Hampshire#6751 in 215
Massachusetts#73411 in 332
Montana#7451 in 220
Missouri#76401 in 286
Oregon#7661 in 263
Connecticut#77131 in 323
Ohio#79501 in 336
Maryland#85121 in 409
Pennsylvania#86871 in 397
Rhode Island#8651 in 337
Washington#8791 in 343
Maine#8881 in 289
Nebraska#89111 in 339
Kansas#93151 in 359
Iowa#94151 in 411
California#109141 in 472
Indiana#111151 in 525
Colorado#11451 in 469
Oklahoma#115211 in 379
Florida#13081 in 468
Kentucky#141181 in 609
Virginia#152141 in 765
Arkansas#158121 in 597
Tennessee#173121 in 831
Alabama#190121 in 998
Louisiana#193101 in 901
Mississippi#20091 in 1,020
Georgia#207121 in 1,251
South Carolina#23461 in 1,517
Texas#239171 in 1,148
North Carolina#29751 in 2,562
Alaska———
Arizona———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Hawaii———
Idaho———
Nevada———
New Mexico———
South Dakota———
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 1911

girls
#82
1,184 births · 1 in 353 girls

Top girls' names in 1911

  1. #1Mary24,390
  2. #2Helen11,801
  3. #3Margaret9,279
  4. #4Dorothy8,869
  5. #5Ruth8,003
  6. #6Anna6,753
  7. #7Elizabeth6,298
  8. #8Mildred6,271
  9. #9Marie5,017
  10. #10Frances4,967
  11. #82Sylvia1,184
More about 1911

girls

418,309 girls got a published name in 1911; 1 in 353 of them was named Sylvia, which outranked 97.1% of the 2,868 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 21.9% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Sylvia
  1. #79Beulah1,244
  2. #80Vivian1,211
  3. #81Opal1,190
  4. #82Sylvia1,184
  5. #83Violet1,183
  6. #84Ellen1,162
  7. #85Jennie1,161
Biggest movers since 1910
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,003Laurette#1,935 → #932
  2. ↑ 683Glenda#1,521 → #838
  3. ↑ 680Ana#1,421 → #741
  4. ↑ 623Vilma#1,521 → #898
  5. ↑ 523Emmaline#1,421 → #898
Fallers
  1. ↓ 1,194Alys#997 → #2,191
  2. ↓ 959Leana#997 → #1,956
  3. ↓ 686Coletta#859 → #1,545
  4. ↓ 686Blossom#970 → #1,656
  5. ↓ 659Otis#997 → #1,656

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

See the top 100 for 1911 →