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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201955peak #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 1955

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Sylvia, so not publishedAKMaine: #135 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 630 girlsMEVermont: #138 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 607 girlsVTNew Hampshire: #106 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 393 girlsNHWashington: #125 for girls · 49 births · 1 in 572 girlsWAIdaho: fewer than 5 girls named Sylvia, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Sylvia, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: #188 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 993 girlsNDMinnesota: #221 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 1,654 girlsMNIllinois: #133 for girls · 148 births · 1 in 681 girlsILWisconsin: #299 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 3,206 girlsWIMichigan: #168 for girls · 87 births · 1 in 1,029 girlsMINew York: #154 for girls · 213 births · 1 in 767 girlsNYMassachusetts: #199 for girls · 32 births · 1 in 1,606 girlsMARhode Island: #185 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 1,404 girlsRIOregon: #178 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 904 girlsORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Sylvia, so not publishedNVWyoming: #154 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 606 girlsWYSouth Dakota: #153 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 697 girlsSDIowa: #270 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 2,370 girlsIAIndiana: #175 for girls · 47 births · 1 in 1,026 girlsINOhio: #159 for girls · 120 births · 1 in 850 girlsOHPennsylvania: #178 for girls · 104 births · 1 in 1,084 girlsPANew Jersey: #160 for girls · 58 births · 1 in 925 girlsNJConnecticut: #151 for girls · 26 births · 1 in 885 girlsCTCalifornia: #89 for girls · 403 births · 1 in 363 girlsCAUtah: #156 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 682 girlsUTColorado: #148 for girls · 27 births · 1 in 662 girlsCONebraska: #220 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 1,465 girlsNEMissouri: #151 for girls · 51 births · 1 in 853 girlsMOKentucky: #121 for girls · 50 births · 1 in 673 girlsKYWest Virginia: #130 for girls · 28 births · 1 in 702 girlsWVVirginia: #84 for girls · 122 births · 1 in 336 girlsVAMaryland: #122 for girls · 50 births · 1 in 574 girlsMDDelaware: #91 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 380 girlsDEArizona: #31 for girls · 79 births · 1 in 152 girlsAZNew Mexico: #33 for girls · 73 births · 1 in 148 girlsNMKansas: #135 for girls · 36 births · 1 in 603 girlsKSArkansas: #177 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 935 girlsARTennessee: #97 for girls · 77 births · 1 in 499 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #56 for girls · 213 births · 1 in 244 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #46 for girls · 139 births · 1 in 206 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: #80 for girls · 40 births · 1 in 332 girlsDCOklahoma: #149 for girls · 30 births · 1 in 735 girlsOKLouisiana: #78 for girls · 109 births · 1 in 345 girlsLAMississippi: #65 for girls · 106 births · 1 in 259 girlsMSAlabama: #89 for girls · 85 births · 1 in 426 girlsALGeorgia: #96 for girls · 108 births · 1 in 426 girlsGAHawaii: #122 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 404 girlsHITexas: #19 for girls · 952 births · 1 in 118 girlsTXFlorida: #71 for girls · 130 births · 1 in 305 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Texas#19 · 1 in 118
  2. Arizona#31 · 1 in 152
  3. New Mexico#33 · 1 in 148
  4. South Carolina#46 · 1 in 206
  5. North Carolina#56 · 1 in 244

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Texas#199521 in 118
Arizona#31791 in 152
New Mexico#33731 in 148
South Carolina#461391 in 206
North Carolina#562131 in 244
Mississippi#651061 in 259
Florida#711301 in 305
Louisiana#781091 in 345
District of Columbia#80401 in 332
Virginia#841221 in 336
Alabama#89851 in 426
California#894031 in 363
Delaware#91111 in 380
Georgia#961081 in 426
Tennessee#97771 in 499
New Hampshire#106131 in 393
Kentucky#121501 in 673
Hawaii#122151 in 404
Maryland#122501 in 574
Washington#125491 in 572
West Virginia#130281 in 702
Illinois#1331481 in 681
Kansas#135361 in 603
Maine#135151 in 630
Vermont#13861 in 607
Colorado#148271 in 662
Oklahoma#149301 in 735
Connecticut#151261 in 885
Missouri#151511 in 853
South Dakota#153111 in 697
New York#1542131 in 767
Wyoming#15451 in 606
Utah#156151 in 682
Ohio#1591201 in 850
New Jersey#160581 in 925
Michigan#168871 in 1,029
Indiana#175471 in 1,026
Arkansas#177201 in 935
Oregon#178181 in 904
Pennsylvania#1781041 in 1,084
Rhode Island#18561 in 1,404
North Dakota#18871 in 993
Massachusetts#199321 in 1,606
Nebraska#220101 in 1,465
Minnesota#221221 in 1,654
Iowa#270121 in 2,370
Wisconsin#299131 in 3,206
Alaska———
Idaho———
Montana———
Nevada———

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 1955

girls
#107
4,003 births · 1 in 488 girls
boys
#2,302
12 births · 1 in 171,657 boys

Top girls' names in 1955

  1. #1Mary63,174
  2. #2Deborah52,318
  3. #3Linda51,300
  4. #4Debra50,563
  5. #5Susan47,418
  6. #6Patricia46,226
  7. #7Barbara33,617
  8. #8Karen33,217
  9. #9Nancy30,023
  10. #10Donna27,940
  11. #107Sylvia4,003

Top boys' names in 1955

  1. #1Michael88,355
  2. #2David86,306
  3. #3James84,186
  4. #4Robert83,758
  5. #5John80,128
  6. #6William59,990
  7. #7Richard53,566
  8. #8Thomas45,855
  9. #9Mark42,255
  10. #10Steven37,847
  11. #2,302Sylvia12
More about 1955

girls

1,955,277 girls got a published name in 1955; 1 in 488 of them was named Sylvia, which outranked 98.4% of the 6,732 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 22.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Sylvia
  1. #104Jennifer4,123
  2. #105Anna4,090
  3. #106Marsha4,061
  4. #107Sylvia4,003
  5. #108Sarah3,979
  6. #109Angela3,893
  7. #110Colleen3,870
Biggest movers since 1954
Risers
  1. ↑ 793Athena#1,505 → #712
  2. ↑ 675Desiree#984 → #309
  3. ↑ 661Roni#1,197 → #536
  4. ↑ 630Gisele#1,444 → #814
  5. ↑ 593Carmel#1,422 → #829
Fallers
  1. ↓ 514Valinda#806 → #1,320
  2. ↓ 378Elouise#969 → #1,347
  3. ↓ 287Veda#831 → #1,118
  4. ↓ 275Drema#978 → #1,253
  5. ↓ 264Brooke#965 → #1,229

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

boys

2,059,889 boys got a published name in 1955; 1 in 171,657 of them was named Sylvia, which outranked 47.7% of the 4,400 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 32.1% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Sylvia
  1. #2,219Vernal13
  2. #2,219Wheeler13
  3. #2,219Winslow13
  4. #2,302Sylvia12
  5. #2,302Adlai12
  6. #2,302Andrei12
  7. #2,302Andris12
  8. #2,435Adonis11
  9. #2,435Albino11
  10. #2,435Alexandro11

Tied with 132 names at #2,302; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1954
Risers
  1. ↑ 808Davy#1,333 → #525
  2. ↑ 326Wyatt#985 → #659
  3. ↑ 323Moises#1,311 → #988
  4. ↑ 296Tad#1,068 → #772
  5. ↑ 286Rhett#1,122 → #836
Fallers
  1. ↓ 738Rahn#908 → #1,646
  2. ↓ 415Ricci#739 → #1,154
  3. ↓ 321Meredith#952 → #1,273
  4. ↓ 309Michial#985 → #1,294
  5. ↓ 282Arvin#973 → #1,255

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

See the top 100 for 1955 →