Total births
711,453
Girls' name · since 1880
Cynthia
711,453 babies named Cynthia in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1957. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #829
- among girls today
- 711,453
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other girls
711,453 babies have been named Cynthia since 1880, making it today's #829 girls' name.
Cynthia has 711,453 recorded births among girls since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #829 as of the latest data, more common than 95% of girls, busiest in the 1950s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #829 among girls today
- 711,453 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 95% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Cynthia is currently the #829 girls' name in America, more common than 95% of girls - 711,453 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #829
- among girls today
- 711,453
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other girls
Cynthia vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#829
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 95% of names given to girls today.
1950s
Peak decade
37% of everyone ever named Cynthia was born in this single decade.
1957
Single peak year
39,340 babies were named Cynthia in 1957 - its busiest year on record.
How Cynthia compares
711,453 Top 0% higher than 100% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Cynthia's all-time total is 1,862x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Cynthia | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 711,453 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 39,340 | 48 | 19,840 |
Cynthia's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Cynthia's full recorded timeline at 1953, 82% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 18% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1882, with just 45 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1957 peak of 39,340 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Cynthia at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1957
Current rank
#829
Active since
1880
Cynthia popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1957)
- 39,340
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Cynthia popularity over time - boys
1,959 total births recorded since 1933 (Cynthia as boys' name)
Cynthia by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Cynthia's strongest decade.
263,432 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 37% of all-time use.
Cynthia births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 582
1880s
582 births
- 1890s 701
1890s
701 births
- 1900s 694
1900s
694 births
- 1910s 1,911
1910s
1,911 births
- 1920s 3,661
1920s
3,661 births
- 1930s 9,666
1930s
9,666 births
- 1940s 58,061
1940s
58,061 births
- 1950s
1950s
263,432 births
- 1960s
1960s
196,597 births
- 1970s 80,196
1970s
80,196 births
- 1980s 41,666
1980s
41,666 births
- 1990s 31,313
1990s
31,313 births
- 2000s 15,172
2000s
15,172 births
- 2010s 5,946
2010s
5,946 births
- 2020s 1,855
2020s
1,855 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 263,432 births (37% of all-time use).
How Cynthia compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Cynthia's total volume
Cynthia vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Cynthia by state
Where Cynthia concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 82,713 | 11.6% |
| #2 | Texas | | 60,775 | 8.5% |
| #3 | New York | | 47,559 | 6.7% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 39,882 | 5.6% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 35,748 | 5.0% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 35,733 | 5.0% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 29,105 | 4.1% |
| #8 | Florida | | 22,344 | 3.1% |
California share of Cynthia's total US births 11.6%
Even split
82,713 of 711,453 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Cynthia appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Cynthia? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 711,453 babies named Cynthia. Today it holds rank #829 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1957, with 39,340 births.
When was Cynthia most popular? ▼
Cynthia was most popular in the 1950s decade with 263,432 total births. The single peak year was 1957.
Where is Cynthia most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Cynthia are California (82,713 births), Texas (60,775 births), New York (47,559 births).
How long has the name Cynthia been used? ▼
Records for Cynthia go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Cynthia? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Cyndi, Cyndy, Cyndee, Cynda, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Cynthia's data
- Cynthia's decade-level peak was the 1950s (263,432 total births); usage has since declined to 1,855 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Cynthias (82,713 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Cynthia
Nearby Names Like Cynthia
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Cynthia
Cyndi Girl
#15556 3,568 births
Cyndy Girl
1,395 births
Cyndee Girl
735 births
Cynda Girl
642 births
Cyndie Girl
556 births
Compare Cynthia side by side: Cynthia vs Cyndi Cynthia vs Cyndy Cynthia vs Cyndee
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Cynthia
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Cynthia: #829 Girls' Name - 711,453 Births, Peak 1957." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/cynthia. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Cynthia draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.