Boys' name · since 1886
Sylvan
Sylvan has 3,684 recorded births since 1886 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1918 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2,224 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,669 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 3,684
- born since 1886
- 1920s
- peak decade
Yes -- Sylvan is the #1669 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 3,684 recorded since 1886.
Sylvan has 3,684 recorded births among boys since 1886, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1669 as of the latest data, more common than 88% of boys, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1886 to 2025.
- #2,224 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #1,669 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 3,684 born since 1886
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Sylvan ranks #2,224 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #1,669 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 3,684 born since 1886, peaking in the 1920s.
- #2,224 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,669 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 3,684
- born since 1886
- 1920s
- peak decade
Sylvan's 3,684 recorded births place it above 95.11% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
17 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Pennsylvania.
How Sylvan compares
3,684 Top 16% higher than 84% of 13,930 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
Sylvan's all-time total is 10x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Sylvan | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,684 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 103 | 34 | 22,252 |
Sylvan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Sylvan splits its recorded history at 1960: 40% of all births land in the more recent half, 60% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1888 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1918 peak of 103 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Sylvan popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1886–2025
- Peak year (1918)
- 103
- Annual births at peak, across 140 years of records
Sylvan popularity over time - girls
129 total births recorded since 1993 (Sylvan as girls' name)
Sylvan by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (660 births, 18% of the file).
1920s was Sylvan's strongest decade.
660 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 18% of all-time use.
Sylvan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 12
1880s
12 births
- 1890s 39
1890s
39 births
- 1900s 77
1900s
77 births
- 1910s
1910s
585 births
- 1920s
1920s
660 births
- 1930s
1930s
391 births
- 1940s
1940s
278 births
- 1950s 178
1950s
178 births
- 1960s 108
1960s
108 births
- 1970s 105
1970s
105 births
- 1980s 127
1980s
127 births
- 1990s 132
1990s
132 births
- 2000s 215
2000s
215 births
- 2010s
2010s
330 births
- 2020s
2020s
447 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 660 births (18% of all-time use).
How Sylvan compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Sylvan's total volume
Sylvan by state
Where Sylvan concentrates geographically, total births since 1886
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Pennsylvania | | 352 | 9.6% |
| #2 | New York | | 137 | 3.7% |
| #3 | Maryland | | 79 | 2.1% |
| #4 | Wisconsin | | 51 | 1.4% |
| #5 | California | | 49 | 1.3% |
| #6 | Texas | | 45 | 1.2% |
| #7 | Minnesota | | 43 | 1.2% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 30 | 0.8% |
352 of 3,684 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 17 reporting states.
Sylvan appears in 17 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Sylvan? ▼
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When was Sylvan most popular? ▼
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What to do with Sylvan's data
- Sylvan's usage has stayed within range of its 1920s decade-level peak (660 total births) through the 2020s (447) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Pennsylvania records the most Sylvans (352 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Pennsylvania names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Sylvan
Nearby Names Like Sylvan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Sylvan
Compare Sylvan side by side: Sylvan vs Sylvester Sylvan vs Sylas Sylvan vs Sylus
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Sylvan
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Sylvan: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1918)
Similar record span (~139 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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).
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 Sylvan 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 August 2026.