Name meaning & stats
Silva
Silva means “of the forest” (Latin origin). 647 US babies since 1940, peak 1969. Notable Silvas are 1.3× over-represented as journalists.
What it means
“of the forest”
LatinSpelling of Sylvia
A form of Silvia.
Sylvia around the world
- Сильвия · Russian
- Сильвія · Ukrainian
- سيلفيا · Arabic
- シルヴィア · Japanese
- 西尔维娅 · Chinese
- Sylvi · Finnish
- Sylvía · Icelandic
Famous Sylvias
- Sylvia Plath · American poet and writer (1932–1963)
- Sylvia Kristel · Dutch actress, model, recording artist (1952-2012)
- Sylvia A. Earle · American oceanographer
- Sylvia Pankhurst · English feminist and socialist (1882–1960)
Sylvia’s name day
- August 8 · Sweden
In US birth records
Peak year: 1969
647 US babies were named Silva between 1940 and 2025.
Silva around the world
- Sweden: 22 babies since 1998, peak 2011, No. 1,280 in 2022
- England & Wales: 55 babies since 1996, peak 2013
- France: 50 babies since 1900, peak 2004
From official birth registries. Sources are listed on About the data.
Where Silvas end up
| Career | vs expected | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Politician | 1.3× | Low · 5 people |
| Actor | 1.1× | Low · 4 people |
| Singer | 1.3× | Low · 3 people |
| Journalist | 1.3× | Low · 3 people |
Among notable women who are journalists, Silvas show up 1.3× as often as you'd expect from how common the name is.
Notable people of every nationality born 1940–2005 (Wikidata). Patterns, not destiny.
Other spellings
1 in 265 Sylvias spell it Silva
Names that sound the same, grouped by Heyotag. Share of US babies since 1940.
Name twins (peaked around 1969)