Total births
151
Unisex name · since 1919
Syd
Since 1919, U.S. Social Security records show 151 babies named Syd, peaking in 1964. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #12515
- among boys today
- 151
- born since 1919
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 12%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Syd is the #12515 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 151 recorded since 1919.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Syd has been recorded 151 times among boys since 1919, currently ranked #12515 nationally and more common than 12% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1919 to 2024.
- #12515 among boys today
- 151 born since 1919
- 2010s peak decade
- 12% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Syd is currently the #12515 unisex name in America, more common than 12% of boys - 151 born since 1919, peaking in the 2010s.
- #12515
- among boys today
- 151
- born since 1919
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 12%
- more common than other boys
Syd vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#12515
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 12% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
32% of everyone ever named Syd was born in this single decade.
1964
Single peak year
10 babies were named Syd in 1964 - its busiest year on record.
How Syd compares
151 33th percentile among 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys 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
Syd's all-time total is 59% below the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Syd | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 151 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 10 | 23 | 22,252 |
Syd's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Syd's full recorded timeline at 2004, 53% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 47% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1923, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1964 peak of 10 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Syd at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1964
Current rank
#12,515
Active since
1919
Syd popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1919–2024
- Peak year (1964)
- 10
- Annual births at peak, across 106 years of records
Syd popularity over time - girls
80 total births recorded since 1903 (Syd as girls' name)
Syd by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Syd's strongest decade.
48 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 32% of all-time use.
Syd births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 7
1910s
7 births
- 1920s 11
1920s
11 births
- 1940s 11
1940s
11 births
- 1950s 6
1950s
6 births
- 1960s
1960s
30 births
- 1990s 6
1990s
6 births
- 2000s
2000s
27 births
- 2010s
2010s
48 births
- 2020s 5
2020s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 48 births (32% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Syd? ▼
151 babies have been named Syd since 1919. It currently ranks #12515 among boys. The peak year was 1964 with 10 births.
When was Syd most popular? ▼
Syd was most popular in the 2010s decade with 48 total births. The single peak year was 1964.
Is Syd a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Syd is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 151 births, and as a girl's name it has 80 births.
How long has the name Syd been used? ▼
Records for Syd go back to 1919, giving 106 years of history through 2024.
What names are similar to Syd? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Sydney, Sydnor, Syden. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Syd's data
- Syd's decade-level peak was the 2010s (48 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- 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 Syd
Nearby Names Like Syd
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Syd
Compare Syd side by side: Syd vs Sydney Syd vs Sydnor Syd vs Syden
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Syd
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, 1919–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Syd: #12515 Unisex Name - 151 Births, Peak 1964." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/syd. 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 Syd 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.