girl's name
Sylvie
SIL-vee
- Origin Latin
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (France)
- Births on record 376,877
the United States
#282
2025 births
Sylvie is a girl's name of Latin origin meaning "of the forest." It is the French form of Silvia, from silva, a wood — the root of sylvan and of Pennsylvania.
- Sylvie is a name of Latin origin.
- Peaked in France in 1964, when 27,550 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 58,952 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1900.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Sylvie over time
Births per decade in France, 1900s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 1,220 |
| 1910s | 785 |
| 1920s | 935 |
| 1930s | 1,155 |
| 1940s | 5,970 |
| 1950s | 73,075 |
| 1960s | 204,765 |
| 1970s | 64,530 |
| 1980s | 9,950 |
| 1990s | 1,710 |
| 2000s | 445 |
| 2010s | 150 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 55 |
What Sylvie means
Sylvie means of the woods, or forest-dweller. The Latin silva means a wood, and the name describes belonging to it rather than merely being near it.
Where Sylvie comes from
Sylvie is the French form of the Latin Silvia, from silva, a forest. Rhea Silvia was the mother of Romulus and Remus in Roman foundation myth, which makes the name older in Roman use than the city itself. The root gives sylvan, silviculture and Pennsylvania — Penn's woods, named for the founder's father. The y spelling is a Renaissance affectation, since the Latin is properly silva; it stuck in French and English while Italian and Spanish kept the i.
Sylvie in use
Our data shows Sylvie rising and it first appears in our records in 1900. It belongs with Romy, Etta and Cleo among short European vintage forms now climbing in Britain, and its parent Silvia remains far less used — the pet form outliving the original, as with Maggie and Maisie.
How popular is Sylvie?
In 2025, Sylvie was given to 10 babies in France. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Sylvie is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Sylvie
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Sylvie also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Sylvie over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Sylvie
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Sylvie in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Sylvie
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Sylvie — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Sylvie
What does the name Sylvie mean?
Sylvie means "of the forest," from the Latin silva, a wood.
Is Sylvie related to Pennsylvania?
Through the same root — Pennsylvania means Penn's woods, from silva.
Why is it spelled with a y?
A Renaissance affectation. The Latin is properly silva; the y stuck in French and English but not in Italian or Spanish.
How popular is the name Sylvie?
In 2025, Sylvie was given to 10 babies in France. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Sylvie a girl's or a boy's name?
Sylvie is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Sylvie?
Sylvie has 2 syllables.
When was Sylvie most popular?
Sylvie peaked in 1964, when 27,550 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Sylvie?
Sylvie is usually shortened to Syl and Vee.
Is Sylvie a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Sylvie currently ranks #190 in France. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.