Total births
20,360
Girls' name · since 1881
Sybil
Since 1881, U.S. Social Security records show 20,360 babies named Sybil, peaking in 1921. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1559
- among girls today
- 20,360
- born since 1881
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 91%
- more common than other girls
Sybil currently ranks #1559 among girls' names in America, with 20,360 babies recorded since 1881.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Sybil has been recorded 20,360 times among girls since 1881, currently ranked #1559 nationally and more common than 91% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1881 to 2025.
- #1559 among girls today
- 20,360 born since 1881
- 1920s peak decade
- 91% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Sybil is currently the #1559 girls' name in America, more common than 91% of girls - 20,360 born since 1881, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1559
- among girls today
- 20,360
- born since 1881
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 91%
- more common than other girls
Sybil vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1559
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 91% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
22% of everyone ever named Sybil was born in this single decade.
1921
Single peak year
541 babies were named Sybil in 1921 - its busiest year on record.
How Sybil compares
20,360 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
Sybil's all-time total is 53x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Sybil | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 20,360 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 541 | 48 | 19,840 |
Sybil's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Sybil's full recorded timeline at 1953, 29% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 71% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1883, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1921 peak of 541 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Sybil at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1921
Current rank
#1,559
Active since
1881
Sybil popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1881–2025
- Peak year (1921)
- 541
- Annual births at peak, across 145 years of records
Sybil popularity over time - boys
5 total births recorded since 1924 (Sybil as boys' name)
Sybil by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Sybil's strongest decade.
4,437 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Sybil births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 87
1880s
87 births
- 1890s 280
1890s
280 births
- 1900s 640
1900s
640 births
- 1910s
1910s
2,509 births
- 1920s
1920s
4,437 births
- 1930s
1930s
3,119 births
- 1940s
1940s
2,709 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,887 births
- 1960s 1,396
1960s
1,396 births
- 1970s 931
1970s
931 births
- 1980s 471
1980s
471 births
- 1990s 198
1990s
198 births
- 2000s 150
2000s
150 births
- 2010s 735
2010s
735 births
- 2020s 811
2020s
811 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 4,437 births (22% of all-time use).
How Sybil 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 Sybil's total volume
Sybil vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Sybil by state
Where Sybil concentrates geographically, total births since 1881
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 1,754 | 8.6% |
| #2 | North Carolina | | 1,300 | 6.4% |
| #3 | Georgia | | 1,245 | 6.1% |
| #4 | Louisiana | | 1,206 | 5.9% |
| #5 | Alabama | | 1,121 | 5.5% |
| #6 | New York | | 1,115 | 5.5% |
| #7 | South Carolina | | 975 | 4.8% |
| #8 | Florida | | 585 | 2.9% |
Texas share of Sybil's total US births 8.6%
Even split
1,754 of 20,360 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 42 reporting states.
Sybil appears in 42 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Sybil? ▼
20,360 babies have been named Sybil since 1881. It currently ranks #1559 among girls. The peak year was 1921 with 541 births.
When was Sybil most popular? ▼
Sybil was most popular in the 1920s decade with 4,437 total births. The single peak year was 1921.
Where is Sybil most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Sybil are Texas (1,754 births), North Carolina (1,300 births), Georgia (1,245 births).
How long has the name Sybil been used? ▼
Sybil has been recorded in Social Security data since 1881, spanning 145 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Sybil? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Syble, Sybella, Sybilla, Sybel, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Sybil's data
- Sybil's decade-level peak was the 1920s (4,437 total births); usage has since declined to 811 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Sybils (1,754 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Sybil
Nearby Names Like Sybil
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Sybil
Syble Girl
#13530 5,541 births
Sybella Girl
#10361 231 births
Sybilla Girl
174 births
Sybel Girl
123 births
Sybol Girl
101 births
Compare Sybil side by side: Sybil vs Syble Sybil vs Sybella Sybil vs Sybilla
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Sybil
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, 1881–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Sybil: #1559 Girls' Name - 20,360 Births, Peak 1921." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/sybil. 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 Sybil 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.