Name meaning & stats
Sylva
Sylva means “of the forest” (Latin origin). 146 US babies since 1940, peak 1947. Notable Sylvas are 1.6× over-represented as teachers.
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: 1947
146 US babies were named Sylva between 1940 and 2025.
Sylva around the world
- France: 260 babies since 1900, peak 1922
From official birth registries. Sources are listed on About the data.
Where Sylvas end up
| Career | vs expected | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Actor | 1.2× | Low · 8 people |
| Professor | 1.3× | Low · 5 people |
| Teacher | 1.6× | Low · 4 people |
| Doctor | 1.4× | Low · 3 people |
Among notable women who are teachers, Sylvas show up 1.6× 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 1176 Sylvias spell it Sylva
Names that sound the same, grouped by Heyotag. Share of US babies since 1940.
Name twins (peaked around 1947)