Silvia
Silvia was the 1240th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 182 babies. Its best year was 1974, when it ranked 494th; the most babies were born in 1991 (374). Over the last ten years it has moved up 153 places. More babies were named Silvia in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Sylvia) of the forest · Latin
- Rank in 2025
- #1,240 girls, up 157 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 182girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1991374 babies
- Total since 1880
- 21,323babies recorded
What does the name Silvia mean?
Silvia is a spelling of Sylvia, pronounced the same way, so it shares Sylvia's meaning and origin.
Sylvia is the feminine of Silvius, from Latin silva, "forest, woodland". DMNES notes Silvius as the name of legendary kings of Alba Longa, and Wiktionary points to Rhea Silvia, the mother of Romulus and Remus, and to the 6th-century Saint Silvia, mother of Pope Gregory the Great. The y spelling is a later fashion; Silvia is the Latin form.
silva (Latin, “forest, woodland”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Silvia, Sylvie, Silvana, Sylvester.
See also: Latin names, names that mean tree.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Sylvia', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Sylvia', DMNES, Durham University
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Sylvius', DMNES, Durham University
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
Silvia popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 51 since 1966.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,240 | 182 |
| 2020 | #1,397 | 157 |
| 2010 | #1,284 | 186 |
| 2000 | #853 | 258 |
| 1990 | #608 | 371 |
| 1980 | #582 | 317 |
| 1970 | #587 | 299 |
| 1960 | #672 | 229 |
| 1950 | #894 | 99 |
| 1940 | #1,045 | 48 |
| 1930 | #1,428 | 30 |
| 1920 | #1,188 | 42 |
| 1910 | #1,026 | 19 |
| 1900 | #1,162 | 12 |
| 1890 | #1,188 | 7 |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Silvia, counting every spelling?
Silvia is a spelling of Sylvia, a name family that ranked #280 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,240 for Silvia on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,199 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sylvia | 1,017 | #300 | 4,002 |
| Silvia | 182 | #1,240 | 879 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Silvia?
182 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Silvia (0.05 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Silvia born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 46 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Silvia.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Silvia?
About 18,700 people born in the US named Silvia are alive today, with a median age of 40; half are between 25 and 55. That makes Silvia mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Silvia by state
How common Silvia was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 26 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Silvia: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Silvia, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Silvia
What does Silvia mean?
Silvia is a spelling of Sylvia, which means “of the forest” (Latin origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Silvia?
Silvia was the 1240th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 182 babies. Its best year was 1974, when it ranked 494th; the most babies were born in 1991 (374). Over the last ten years it has moved up 153 places. More babies were named Silvia in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Is Silvia a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Silvia in the US.
Where is Silvia most popular?
In 2021–2025, Silvia was most common in Wisconsin (0.18 per 1,000 girls), followed by Washington and Tennessee.