Sylvia is of Latin origin, meaning 'of the forest'. It was popularized during the Middle Ages through the French form, Sylvie, which was used by many poets and writers in their works. Sylvia's peak popularity occurred in the 1940s, when it consistently ranked among the top 500 names for girls in the United States. However, its usage has since declined, making it a less common but still elegant choice today.
The name Sylvia was quite popular in the year 1974 with five babies being named so. However, over time, its popularity has decreased significantly as evidenced by the total of only five children born with this name since then.