Total births
245,070
Girls' name · since 1880
Sylvia
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 245,070 babies named Sylvia, peaking in 1937. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #361
- among girls today
- 245,070
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other girls
Sylvia currently ranks #361 among girls' names in America, with 245,070 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Sylvia has been recorded 245,070 times among girls since 1880, currently ranked #361 nationally and more common than 98% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1950s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #361 among girls today
- 245,070 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 98% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Sylvia is currently the #361 girls' name in America, more common than 98% of girls - 245,070 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #361
- among girls today
- 245,070
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other girls
Sylvia vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#361
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 98% of names given to girls today.
1950s
Peak decade
16% of everyone ever named Sylvia was born in this single decade.
1937
Single peak year
4,371 babies were named Sylvia in 1937 - its busiest year on record.
How Sylvia compares
245,070 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
Sylvia's all-time total is 642x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Sylvia | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 245,070 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 4,371 | 48 | 19,840 |
Sylvia's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Sylvia's full recorded timeline at 1953, 41% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 59% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1881, with just 67 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1937 peak of 4,371 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Sylvia at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1937
Current rank
#361
Active since
1880
Sylvia popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1937)
- 4,371
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Sylvia popularity over time - boys
908 total births recorded since 1906 (Sylvia as boys' name)
Sylvia by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Sylvia's strongest decade.
39,540 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.
Sylvia births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 1,109
1880s
1,109 births
- 1890s 3,025
1890s
3,025 births
- 1900s 5,559
1900s
5,559 births
- 1910s
1910s
25,655 births
- 1920s
1920s
26,841 births
- 1930s
1930s
33,011 births
- 1940s
1940s
37,288 births
- 1950s
1950s
39,540 births
- 1960s
1960s
28,621 births
- 1970s 12,614
1970s
12,614 births
- 1980s 9,323
1980s
9,323 births
- 1990s 6,390
1990s
6,390 births
- 2000s 5,440
2000s
5,440 births
- 2010s 6,046
2010s
6,046 births
- 2020s 4,608
2020s
4,608 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 39,540 births (16% of all-time use).
How Sylvia 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 Sylvia's total volume
Sylvia vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Sylvia by state
Where Sylvia concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 28,034 | 11.4% |
| #2 | New York | | 27,741 | 11.3% |
| #3 | California | | 20,991 | 8.6% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 13,022 | 5.3% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 10,633 | 4.3% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 9,106 | 3.7% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 7,897 | 3.2% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 6,895 | 2.8% |
Texas share of Sylvia's total US births 11.4%
Even split
28,034 of 245,070 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Sylvia appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Sylvia? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 245,070 babies named Sylvia. Today it holds rank #361 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1937, with 4,371 births.
When was Sylvia most popular? ▼
Sylvia was most popular in the 1950s decade with 39,540 total births. The single peak year was 1937.
Where is Sylvia most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Sylvia are Texas (28,034 births), New York (27,741 births), California (20,991 births).
How long has the name Sylvia been used? ▼
Records for Sylvia go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Sylvia? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Sylvie, Sylva, Sylvana, Sylvester, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Sylvia's data
- Sylvia's decade-level peak was the 1950s (39,540 total births); usage has since declined to 4,608 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Sylvias (28,034 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 Sylvia
Nearby Names Like Sylvia
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Sylvia
Sylvie Girl
#356 8,444 births
Sylva Girl
890 births
Sylvana Girl
#13699 817 births
Sylvester Girl
627 births
Sylvania Girl
546 births
Compare Sylvia side by side: Sylvia vs Sylvie Sylvia vs Sylva Sylvia vs Sylvana
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Sylvia
Giselle #360
50,186 births · Peak 2007
Alaya #362
11,095 births · Peak 2020
Sabrina #359
142,601 births · Peak 1997
Finley #363
22,908 births · Peak 2017
Azalea #358
11,739 births · Peak 2025
Elora #364
8,811 births · Peak 2024
Laura #357
801,811 births · Peak 1964
Raya #365
8,003 births · Peak 2023
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Sylvia: #361 Girls' Name - 245,070 Births, Peak 1937." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/sylvia. 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 Sylvia 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.