Sylvan
Sylvan is given to both girls and boys: 12 girls and 99 boys were given it in 2025 (#8,809 among girls’ names and #1,674 among boys’, #3,309 among all names counting both); 3,813 Americans have been recorded with it since 1886 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 1,820 Americans named Sylvan and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (48% of everyone recorded); the median is 19 years old and half are between 6 and 47.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Sylvan by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
How popular is Sylvan?
#1,674 among boys’ names, 2025
Sylvan rose from #4,158 in 2015 to #1,674 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born rose from 13.0 to 58.0 per million.
111 babies in 2025, the peak
Sylvan peaked in 2025, when 111 babies were given it (99 boys, #1,674 among boys’ names). In 2024 it went to 84 boys.
Births by sex.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 99 | #1,674 | 0.06 |
| 2024 | 84 | #1,901 | 0.05 |
| 2023 | 75 | #2,028 | 0.04 |
| 2022 | 80 | #1,949 | 0.05 |
| 2021 | 64 | #2,218 | 0.04 |
| 2020 | 45 | #2,750 | 0.03 |
| 2019 | 48 | #2,689 | 0.03 |
| 2018 | 32 | #3,507 | 0.02 |
| 2017 | 35 | #3,303 | 0.02 |
| 2016 | 43 | #2,833 | 0.02 |
Every recorded year (130)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 25 | #4,158 | 0.01 |
| 2014 | 35 | #3,213 | 0.02 |
| 2013 | 29 | #3,648 | 0.02 |
| 2012 | 31 | #3,514 | 0.02 |
| 2011 | 25 | #4,089 | 0.01 |
| 2010 | 27 | #3,886 | 0.01 |
| 2009 | 20 | #4,899 | 0.01 |
| 2008 | 20 | #4,870 | 0.01 |
| 2007 | 18 | #5,181 | 0.01 |
| 2006 | 25 | #3,979 | 0.01 |
| 2005 | 18 | #4,793 | 0.01 |
| 2004 | 21 | #4,244 | 0.01 |
| 2003 | 20 | #4,254 | 0.01 |
| 2002 | 29 | #3,174 | 0.01 |
| 2001 | 22 | #3,822 | 0.01 |
| 2000 | 22 | #3,739 | 0.01 |
| 1999 | 11 | #5,986 | 0.01 |
| 1998 | 19 | #3,823 | 0.01 |
| 1997 | 11 | #5,597 | 0.01 |
| 1996 | 9 | #6,416 | under 0.01 |
| 1995 | 12 | #5,077 | 0.01 |
| 1994 | 16 | #4,056 | 0.01 |
| 1993 | 20 | #3,350 | 0.01 |
| 1992 | 12 | #4,816 | 0.01 |
| 1991 | 7 | #7,170 | under 0.01 |
| 1990 | 15 | #3,936 | 0.01 |
| 1989 | 11 | #4,766 | 0.01 |
| 1988 | 13 | #3,880 | 0.01 |
| 1987 | 15 | #3,315 | 0.01 |
| 1986 | 8 | #5,266 | under 0.01 |
| 1985 | 14 | #3,367 | 0.01 |
| 1984 | 17 | #2,804 | 0.01 |
| 1983 | 13 | #3,391 | 0.01 |
| 1982 | 9 | #4,540 | under 0.01 |
| 1981 | 13 | #3,385 | 0.01 |
| 1980 | 14 | #3,231 | 0.01 |
| 1979 | 9 | #4,359 | 0.01 |
| 1978 | 6 | #5,675 | under 0.01 |
| 1977 | 9 | #4,120 | 0.01 |
| 1976 | 9 | #3,970 | 0.01 |
| 1975 | 18 | #2,439 | 0.01 |
| 1974 | 8 | #4,149 | 0.01 |
| 1973 | 11 | #3,189 | 0.01 |
| 1972 | 14 | #2,643 | 0.01 |
| 1971 | 16 | #2,454 | 0.01 |
| 1970 | 5 | #5,352 | under 0.01 |
| 1969 | 6 | #4,354 | under 0.01 |
| 1968 | 7 | #3,633 | under 0.01 |
| 1966 | 17 | #1,957 | 0.01 |
| 1965 | 5 | #4,366 | under 0.01 |
| 1964 | 18 | #1,963 | 0.01 |
| 1963 | 12 | #2,520 | 0.01 |
| 1962 | 10 | #2,827 | under 0.01 |
| 1961 | 15 | #2,227 | 0.01 |
| 1960 | 18 | #1,965 | 0.01 |
| 1959 | 15 | #2,188 | 0.01 |
| 1958 | 14 | #2,249 | 0.01 |
| 1957 | 16 | #2,080 | 0.01 |
| 1956 | 16 | #2,083 | 0.01 |
| 1955 | 11 | #2,536 | 0.01 |
| 1954 | 15 | #2,105 | 0.01 |
| 1953 | 18 | #1,894 | 0.01 |
| 1952 | 29 | #1,428 | 0.01 |
| 1951 | 19 | #1,767 | 0.01 |
| 1950 | 25 | #1,495 | 0.01 |
| 1949 | 30 | #1,344 | 0.02 |
| 1948 | 25 | #1,482 | 0.01 |
| 1947 | 29 | #1,390 | 0.02 |
| 1946 | 21 | #1,597 | 0.01 |
| 1945 | 19 | #1,571 | 0.01 |
| 1944 | 31 | #1,208 | 0.02 |
| 1943 | 34 | #1,183 | 0.02 |
| 1942 | 29 | #1,312 | 0.02 |
| 1941 | 28 | #1,273 | 0.02 |
| 1940 | 32 | #1,206 | 0.03 |
| 1939 | 32 | #1,162 | 0.03 |
| 1938 | 33 | #1,146 | 0.03 |
| 1937 | 33 | #1,165 | 0.03 |
| 1936 | 36 | #1,091 | 0.03 |
| 1935 | 44 | #966 | 0.04 |
| 1934 | 39 | #1,056 | 0.04 |
| 1933 | 37 | #1,091 | 0.04 |
| 1932 | 50 | #922 | 0.05 |
| 1931 | 40 | #1,077 | 0.04 |
| 1930 | 47 | #1,004 | 0.04 |
| 1929 | 54 | #920 | 0.05 |
| 1928 | 51 | #961 | 0.05 |
| 1927 | 52 | #977 | 0.05 |
| 1926 | 71 | #775 | 0.06 |
| 1925 | 80 | #728 | 0.07 |
| 1924 | 73 | #792 | 0.06 |
| 1923 | 69 | #814 | 0.06 |
| 1922 | 66 | #849 | 0.06 |
| 1921 | 76 | #771 | 0.07 |
| 1920 | 68 | #814 | 0.06 |
| 1919 | 71 | #773 | 0.07 |
| 1918 | 103 | #606 | 0.10 |
| 1917 | 73 | #722 | 0.08 |
| 1916 | 84 | #640 | 0.09 |
| 1915 | 66 | #740 | 0.08 |
| 1914 | 52 | #733 | 0.08 |
| 1913 | 48 | #647 | 0.09 |
| 1912 | 53 | #555 | 0.12 |
| 1911 | 24 | #640 | 0.11 |
| 1910 | 11 | #1,034 | 0.06 |
| 1909 | 10 | #1,014 | 0.06 |
| 1908 | 13 | #775 | 0.08 |
| 1907 | 13 | #770 | 0.09 |
| 1906 | 13 | #702 | 0.10 |
| 1904 | 8 | #956 | 0.06 |
| 1903 | 8 | #902 | 0.07 |
| 1900 | 12 | #779 | 0.08 |
| 1899 | 11 | #656 | 0.10 |
| 1897 | 7 | #932 | 0.06 |
| 1896 | 6 | #1,092 | 0.05 |
| 1894 | 5 | #1,217 | 0.04 |
| 1892 | 5 | #1,238 | 0.04 |
| 1891 | 5 | #1,108 | 0.05 |
| 1888 | 5 | #1,166 | 0.04 |
| 1886 | 7 | #837 | 0.06 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is Sylvan a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Of the 3,813 Americans recorded as Sylvan, 3% are girls and 97% boys.
Years with fewer than 20 babies given the name are left blank.
Girls and boys named Sylvan: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Sylvan, and how old are they?
1,820 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 48% of the 3,813 Americans ever recorded as Sylvan. The median Sylvan alive today is 19 years old; half are between 6 and 47.
The 2020 Census counted 1,821 people named Sylvan (226 women and girls, 1,595 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 1,486 born in the U.S. The Census count is 23% above that prediction. Possible reasons: the Census counts people born abroad, whom SSA’s files leave out, and it records the name people give, which SSA may have recorded under another spelling or as part of a compound name.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 110 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 227 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 137 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 200 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 370 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 775 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Sylvan born?
The states with the most babies named Sylvan are California, Pennsylvania and New York, with 77% of its births recorded by state in 2025.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 13 | #1,424 | 0.2× |
| Pennsylvania | 11 | #784 | 1.5× |
| New York | 9 | #1,281 | 0.5× |
| Texas | 5 | #2,910 | 0.2× |
| Colorado | 5 | #944 | 0.2× |
Where Sylvan is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Sylvan is most over-represented in Pennsylvania: since 1910 it was given 1.5 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Sylvan with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 4 names spelled alike, given to 4,058 babies since 1880, Sylvan is the most given (94% of them). In 2025 it was given to 111 of their 126 babies (88%), again the most given.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Sylvan
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Sylvan and names like it
- Compare Sylvan and SilvanBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 2020sSylvan peaked in 2025.
- Pennsylvania’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Sylvan since 1910.
- The top names of 2025The year the most babies were named Sylvan.
- The names of Generation AlphaMost people named Sylvan alive today were born 2013-2025.
- Names starting with SMost given first.