unisex name · in the US
Sylvan
SIL-vun (English)
- Gender Unisex (US)
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 4,010
Sylvan is a unisex name in the United States, with 2 syllables. In 2025 it was given to 111 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
- Peaked in 2025, when 111 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 29,869 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1886.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Sylvan Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 12 |
| 1890s | 39 |
| 1900s | 77 |
| 1910s | 585 |
| 1920s | 660 |
| 1930s | 391 |
| 1940s | 278 |
| 1950s | 178 |
| 1960s | 108 |
| 1970s | 105 |
| 1980s | 127 |
| 1990s | 138 |
| 2000s | 252 |
| 2010s | 354 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 509 |
How Popular Is Sylvan?
In 2025, Sylvan was given to 111 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Sylvan 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 Sylvan
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Sylvan Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Sylvan over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Boys' or Girls' Name?
Sylvan is used differently depending on where you are. Each figure is the share of babies given the name who were girls, over the last ten years of that country's records.
- United States Both 11% girls · 678 babies
- England & Wales Boys' 0% girls · 54 babies
How to Say Sylvan
- English SIL-vun
Sibling Names for Sylvan
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Sylvan — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Sylvan
How popular is the name Sylvan?
In 2025, Sylvan was given to 111 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Sylvan a girl's or a boy's name?
Sylvan is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Sylvan?
Sylvan has 2 syllables.
When was Sylvan most popular?
Sylvan peaked in 2025, when 111 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Sylvan a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Sylvan currently ranks #1,673 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.