Total births
178,296
Unisex name · since 1886
Sydney
Since 1886, U.S. Social Security records show 178,296 babies named Sydney, peaking in 2000. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #288
- among girls today
- 178,296
- born since 1886
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other girls
178,296 babies have been named Sydney since 1886, making it today's #288 unisex name.
Social Security Administration records show Sydney recorded 178,296 times among girls since 1886, holding rank #288 nationally today, ahead of 98% of girls, peaking in the 2000s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1886 to 2025.
- #288 among girls today
- 178,296 born since 1886
- 2000s peak decade
- 98% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Sydney is currently the #288 unisex name in America, more common than 98% of girls - 178,296 born since 1886, peaking in the 2000s.
- #288
- among girls today
- 178,296
- born since 1886
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other girls
Sydney vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#288
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 98% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
43% of everyone ever named Sydney was born in this single decade.
2000
Single peak year
10,243 babies were named Sydney in 2000 - its busiest year on record.
How Sydney compares
178,296 Top 1% higher than 99% 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
Sydney's all-time total is 467x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Sydney | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 178,296 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 10,243 | 48 | 19,840 |
Sydney's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Sydney splits its recorded history at 1960: 97% of all births land in the more recent half, 3% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1896 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2000 peak of 10,243 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Sydney at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
2000
Current rank
#288
Active since
1886
Sydney popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1886–2025
- Peak year (2000)
- 10,243
- Annual births at peak, across 140 years of records
Sydney popularity over time - boys
9,404 total births recorded since 1880 (Sydney as boys' name)
Sydney by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Sydney's strongest decade.
76,444 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 43% of all-time use.
Sydney births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 14
1880s
14 births
- 1890s 23
1890s
23 births
- 1900s 84
1900s
84 births
- 1910s 265
1910s
265 births
- 1920s 306
1920s
306 births
- 1930s 798
1930s
798 births
- 1940s 1,512
1940s
1,512 births
- 1950s 1,522
1950s
1,522 births
- 1960s 1,346
1960s
1,346 births
- 1970s 929
1970s
929 births
- 1980s 4,587
1980s
4,587 births
- 1990s
1990s
55,756 births
- 2000s
2000s
76,444 births
- 2010s 28,084
2010s
28,084 births
- 2020s 6,626
2020s
6,626 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 76,444 births (43% of all-time use).
How Sydney 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 Sydney's total volume
Sydney vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Sydney by state
Where Sydney concentrates geographically, total births since 1886
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 16,909 | 9.5% |
| #2 | Texas | | 12,803 | 7.2% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 8,399 | 4.7% |
| #4 | New York | | 8,156 | 4.6% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 7,490 | 4.2% |
| #6 | Florida | | 7,469 | 4.2% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 6,866 | 3.9% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 6,789 | 3.8% |
California share of Sydney's total US births 9.5%
Even split
16,909 of 178,296 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Sydney appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Sydney? ▼
178,296 babies have been named Sydney since 1886. It currently ranks #288 among girls. The peak year was 2000 with 10,243 births.
When was Sydney most popular? ▼
Sydney was most popular in the 2000s decade with 76,444 total births. The single peak year was 2000.
Where is Sydney most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Sydney are California (16,909 births), Texas (12,803 births), Ohio (8,399 births).
Is Sydney a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Sydney is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 178,296 births, and as a boy's name it has 9,404 births.
How long has the name Sydney been used? ▼
Records for Sydney go back to 1886, giving 140 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Sydney? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Sydnee, Sydni, Sydnie, Sydne, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Sydney's data
- Sydney's decade-level peak was the 2000s (76,444 total births); usage has since declined to 6,626 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Sydneys (16,909 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 Sydney
Nearby Names Like Sydney
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Sydney
Sydnee Girl
#9048 8,255 births
Sydni Girl
#7323 5,361 births
Sydnie Girl
#8501 5,187 births
Sydne Girl
876 births
Sydelle Girl
754 births
Compare Sydney side by side: Sydney vs Sydnee Sydney vs Sydni Sydney vs Sydnie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Sydney
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, 1886–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Sydney: #288 Unisex Name - 178,296 Births, Peak 2000." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/sydney. 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 Sydney 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.