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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201957peak #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 1957

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: #137 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 459 girlsAKMaine: #166 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 818 girlsMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Sylvia, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: #150 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 786 girlsNHWashington: #209 for girls · 27 births · 1 in 1,066 girlsWAIdaho: #252 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 1,272 girlsIDMontana: #193 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 903 girlsMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Sylvia, so not publishedNDMinnesota: #341 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 3,496 girlsMNIllinois: #133 for girls · 170 births · 1 in 638 girlsILWisconsin: #209 for girls · 28 births · 1 in 1,569 girlsWIMichigan: #171 for girls · 95 births · 1 in 1,001 girlsMINew York: #144 for girls · 241 births · 1 in 703 girlsNYMassachusetts: #203 for girls · 33 births · 1 in 1,631 girlsMARhode Island: #150 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 948 girlsRIOregon: #155 for girls · 24 births · 1 in 665 girlsORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Sylvia, so not publishedNVWyoming: #156 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 573 girlsWYSouth Dakota: #174 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 787 girlsSDIowa: #275 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 2,196 girlsIAIndiana: #170 for girls · 56 births · 1 in 927 girlsINOhio: #166 for girls · 124 births · 1 in 896 girlsOHPennsylvania: #176 for girls · 110 births · 1 in 1,074 girlsPANew Jersey: #157 for girls · 66 births · 1 in 873 girlsNJConnecticut: #233 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 1,776 girlsCTCalifornia: #74 for girls · 508 births · 1 in 323 girlsCAUtah: #174 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 752 girlsUTColorado: #124 for girls · 36 births · 1 in 519 girlsCONebraska: #249 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 1,771 girlsNEMissouri: #170 for girls · 48 births · 1 in 941 girlsMOKentucky: #152 for girls · 38 births · 1 in 888 girlsKYWest Virginia: #150 for girls · 24 births · 1 in 823 girlsWVVirginia: #91 for girls · 111 births · 1 in 373 girlsVAMaryland: #116 for girls · 59 births · 1 in 515 girlsMDDelaware: #125 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 481 girlsDEArizona: #25 for girls · 107 births · 1 in 128 girlsAZNew Mexico: #49 for girls · 61 births · 1 in 188 girlsNMKansas: #237 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 1,556 girlsKSArkansas: #106 for girls · 37 births · 1 in 501 girlsARTennessee: #102 for girls · 74 births · 1 in 509 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #50 for girls · 229 births · 1 in 221 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #41 for girls · 148 births · 1 in 192 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: #103 for girls · 35 births · 1 in 389 girlsDCOklahoma: #182 for girls · 24 births · 1 in 910 girlsOKLouisiana: #85 for girls · 113 births · 1 in 352 girlsLAMississippi: #89 for girls · 66 births · 1 in 395 girlsMSAlabama: #79 for girls · 100 births · 1 in 367 girlsALGeorgia: #65 for girls · 155 births · 1 in 297 girlsGAHawaii: #160 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 607 girlsHITexas: #19 for girls · 1,039 births · 1 in 111 girlsTXFlorida: #67 for girls · 161 births · 1 in 285 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Texas#19 · 1 in 111
  2. Arizona#25 · 1 in 128
  3. South Carolina#41 · 1 in 192
  4. New Mexico#49 · 1 in 188
  5. North Carolina#50 · 1 in 221

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Texas#191,0391 in 111
Arizona#251071 in 128
South Carolina#411481 in 192
New Mexico#49611 in 188
North Carolina#502291 in 221
Georgia#651551 in 297
Florida#671611 in 285
California#745081 in 323
Alabama#791001 in 367
Louisiana#851131 in 352
Mississippi#89661 in 395
Virginia#911111 in 373
Tennessee#102741 in 509
District of Columbia#103351 in 389
Arkansas#106371 in 501
Maryland#116591 in 515
Colorado#124361 in 519
Delaware#125101 in 481
Illinois#1331701 in 638
Alaska#13761 in 459
New York#1442411 in 703
New Hampshire#15071 in 786
Rhode Island#15091 in 948
West Virginia#150241 in 823
Kentucky#152381 in 888
Oregon#155241 in 665
Wyoming#15651 in 573
New Jersey#157661 in 873
Hawaii#160101 in 607
Maine#166121 in 818
Ohio#1661241 in 896
Indiana#170561 in 927
Missouri#170481 in 941
Michigan#171951 in 1,001
South Dakota#17491 in 787
Utah#174141 in 752
Pennsylvania#1761101 in 1,074
Oklahoma#182241 in 910
Montana#19381 in 903
Massachusetts#203331 in 1,631
Washington#209271 in 1,066
Wisconsin#209281 in 1,569
Connecticut#233141 in 1,776
Kansas#237141 in 1,556
Nebraska#24981 in 1,771
Idaho#25251 in 1,272
Iowa#275131 in 2,196
Minnesota#341111 in 3,496
Nevada———
North Dakota———
Vermont———

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 1957

girls
#109
4,310 births · 1 in 474 girls
boys
#1,715
22 births · 1 in 98,056 boys

Top girls' names in 1957

  1. #1Mary61,102
  2. #2Susan45,954
  3. #3Linda44,517
  4. #4Debra42,728
  5. #5Karen40,591
  6. #6Deborah40,096
  7. #7Cynthia39,340
  8. #8Patricia39,283
  9. #9Barbara29,692
  10. #10Donna28,042
  11. #109Sylvia4,310

Top boys' names in 1957

  1. #1Michael92,781
  2. #2James84,337
  3. #3David82,403
  4. #4Robert81,765
  5. #5John79,033
  6. #6William56,852
  7. #7Mark52,841
  8. #8Richard52,446
  9. #9Thomas44,625
  10. #10Steven36,842
  11. #1,715Sylvia22
More about 1957

girls

2,044,851 girls got a published name in 1957; 1 in 474 of them was named Sylvia, which outranked 98.4% of the 7,015 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 20.1% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Sylvia
  1. #106Alice4,432
  2. #107Tammy4,365
  3. #108Beth4,351
  4. #109Sylvia4,310
  5. #110Stephanie4,221
  6. #111Renee4,177
  7. #112Sheryl4,133
Biggest movers since 1956
Risers
  1. ↑ 2,944Tammi#3,696 → #752
  2. ↑ 1,310Tamela#2,151 → #841
  3. ↑ 1,298Tammie#1,662 → #364
  4. ↑ 993Tia#1,968 → #975
  5. ↑ 676Tamera#1,287 → #611
Fallers
  1. ↓ 423Corliss#878 → #1,301
  2. ↓ 399Glynis#977 → #1,376
  3. ↓ 367Merrie#977 → #1,344
  4. ↓ 303Taryn#935 → #1,238
  5. ↓ 291Glendora#963 → #1,254

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

boys

2,157,236 boys got a published name in 1957; 1 in 98,056 of them was named Sylvia, which outranked 62.3% of the 4,552 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 30.8% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Sylvia
  1. #1,673Ronaldo23
  2. #1,673Vickie23
  3. #1,673Vicky23
  4. #1,715Sylvia22
  5. #1,715Ace22
  6. #1,715Arlis22
  7. #1,715Arlon22
  8. #1,751Acie21
  9. #1,751Alice21
  10. #1,751Barnett21

Tied with 35 names at #1,715; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1956
Risers
  1. ↑ 714Dion#1,642 → #928
  2. ↑ 404Wes#1,317 → #913
  3. ↑ 371Antoine#1,232 → #861
  4. ↑ 340Domenick#1,335 → #995
  5. ↑ 329Mitch#868 → #539
Fallers
  1. ↓ 458Lannie#999 → #1,457
  2. ↓ 402Desi#986 → #1,388
  3. ↓ 354Gavin#924 → #1,278
  4. ↓ 317Murphy#917 → #1,234
  5. ↓ 288Eliot#897 → #1,185

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

See the top 100 for 1957 →