Total births
21,272
Girls' name · since 1884
Silvia
Since 1884, U.S. Social Security records show 21,272 babies named Silvia, peaking in 1991. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1162
- among girls today
- 21,272
- born since 1884
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Silvia is the #1162 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 21,272 recorded since 1884.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Silvia has been recorded 21,272 times among girls since 1884, currently ranked #1162 nationally and more common than 93% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1980s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1884 to 2025.
- #1162 among girls today
- 21,272 born since 1884
- 1980s peak decade
- 93% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Silvia is currently the #1162 girls' name in America, more common than 93% of girls - 21,272 born since 1884, peaking in the 1980s.
- #1162
- among girls today
- 21,272
- born since 1884
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other girls
Silvia vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1162
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 93% of names given to girls today.
1980s
Peak decade
15% of everyone ever named Silvia was born in this single decade.
1991
Single peak year
374 babies were named Silvia in 1991 - its busiest year on record.
How Silvia compares
21,272 Top 6% higher than 94% 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
Silvia's all-time total is 56x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Silvia | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 21,272 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 374 | 48 | 19,840 |
Silvia's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Silvia's full recorded timeline at 1957, 86% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 14% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1888, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1991 peak of 374 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Silvia at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1991
Current rank
#1,162
Active since
1884
Silvia popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1884–2025
- Peak year (1991)
- 374
- Annual births at peak, across 142 years of records
Silvia popularity over time - boys
51 total births recorded since 1966 (Silvia as boys' name)
Silvia by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Silvia's strongest decade.
3,255 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 15% of all-time use.
Silvia births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 32
1880s
32 births
- 1890s 62
1890s
62 births
- 1900s 105
1900s
105 births
- 1910s 321
1910s
321 births
- 1920s 385
1920s
385 births
- 1930s 336
1930s
336 births
- 1940s 643
1940s
643 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,841 births
- 1960s
1960s
2,745 births
- 1970s
1970s
3,225 births
- 1980s
1980s
3,255 births
- 1990s
1990s
3,134 births
- 2000s
2000s
2,381 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,771 births
- 2020s 1,036
2020s
1,036 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 3,255 births (15% of all-time use).
How Silvia 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 Silvia's total volume
Silvia vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Silvia by state
Where Silvia concentrates geographically, total births since 1884
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 7,322 | 34.4% |
| #2 | Texas | | 3,684 | 17.3% |
| #3 | New York | | 1,451 | 6.8% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 1,029 | 4.8% |
| #5 | Florida | | 719 | 3.4% |
| #6 | Arizona | | 373 | 1.8% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 337 | 1.6% |
| #8 | Washington | | 199 | 0.9% |
California share of Silvia's total US births 34.4%
Even split
7,322 of 21,272 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 35 reporting states.
Silvia appears in 35 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Silvia? ▼
Silvia has been given to 21,272 babies in the U.S. since 1884, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #1162 as of the latest data. 374 babies were born in 1991, its single highest year.
When was Silvia most popular? ▼
Silvia was most popular in the 1980s decade with 3,255 total births. The single peak year was 1991.
Where is Silvia most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Silvia are California (7,322 births), Texas (3,684 births), New York (1,451 births).
How long has the name Silvia been used? ▼
Records for Silvia go back to 1884, giving 142 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Silvia? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Silvana, Silver, Silva, Sila, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Silvia's data
- Silvia's decade-level peak was the 1980s (3,255 total births); usage has since declined to 1,036 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Silvias (7,322 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 Silvia
Nearby Names Like Silvia
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Silvia
Silvana Girl
#3412 2,420 births
Silver Girl
#3341 1,749 births
Silva Girl
901 births
Sila Girl
#5510 510 births
Silvie Girl
#6431 184 births
Compare Silvia side by side: Silvia vs Silvana Silvia vs Silver Silvia vs Silva
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Silvia
Clarissa #1161
40,484 births · Peak 1995
True #1163
2,186 births · Peak 2021
Carolyn #1160
556,777 births · Peak 1947
Wrenly #1164
993 births · Peak 2024
Grecia #1159
6,318 births · Peak 2006
Martina #1165
18,498 births · Peak 1964
Averi #1158
7,909 births · Peak 2015
Abril #1166
9,324 births · Peak 2007
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, 1884–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Silvia: #1162 Girls' Name - 21,272 Births, Peak 1991." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/silvia. 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 Silvia 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.