← All names

Sylvia

Girl name · 285 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Sylvia: 285 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 26 births in 1974.

From the Latin *silva*, meaning "forest" or "woodland," Sylvia began life as a Roman family name before being adopted as a given name across Europe. Its most famous literary bearer is perhaps Silvia, the enchanting heroine of Shakespeare's *Two Gentlemen of Verona*—the source of the popular song "Who is Silvia?". The name also belongs to Sylvia Plath, the brilliant and influential American poet, and to Sylvia Rivera, a pioneering transgender activist. The root *silva* is shared with the botanical term "sylvan" and with the Spanish *Selva*, a lush rainforest region. A charming Italian variant, Silvia, has been consistently popular there, while the Scottish form Sylvia saw particular use in the mid‑20th century.