boy's name
Sly
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 1
- Letters 3
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 141
Sly is a boy's name with 1 syllable. In 2025 it was given to 10 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
- Peaked in 2025, when 10 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 331,565 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1973.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Sly over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1970s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 12 |
| 1980s | 5 |
| 1990s | 25 |
| 2000s | 11 |
| 2010s | 24 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 24 |
How popular is Sly?
In 2025, Sly was given to 10 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Where Sly is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Sly
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Sly also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Sly over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sibling names for Sly
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Sly — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Sly
How popular is the name Sly?
In 2025, Sly was given to 10 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Is Sly a girl's or a boy's name?
Sly is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Sly?
Sly has 1 syllable.
When was Sly most popular?
Sly peaked in 2025, when 10 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
Is Sly a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Sly currently ranks #7,739 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.