Girl name · Latin
Silvia
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: of the forestSilvia is a girl's name that comes from Latin and means "of the forest". It is used in Italian, Spanish and Portuguese.
- Meaning
- Of the forest
- Origin
- Latin
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- SEEL-vyah (Italian)
Meaning and origin of Silvia
As a girl's name, Silvia comes from Latin and means "of the forest". It is used in Italian, Spanish and Portuguese.
In Italian, say SEEL-vyah. In Spanish, say SEEL-byah. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Its meaning puts Silvia on our nature names list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Silvia on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Silvia on 4 lists.
“Of the forest; Latin. Say SEEL-vyah”
From Italian girl names, classic Italian girl names
“Of the forest; Latin. Mother of Romulus and Remus in legend”
From Nature names, tree and forest names
“Wood, forest; Latin. Mother of Romulus and Remus in legend”
From Roman names, roman female names from family names and cognomina
“Of the forest; Latin. Say SEEL-byah”
From Spanish girl names, classic female Spanish names
How popular is Silvia?
- US rank in 2025
- #1,240
- 182 babies, 113 per million girls
- Best rank
- #494 in 1974
- Most babies: 374 in 1991
- Babies since 1884
- At least 21,272
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 24 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 28 per million |
| 1900s | 36 per million |
| 1910s | 39 per million |
| 1920s | 32 per million |
| 1930s | 32 per million |
| 1940s | 44 per million |
| 1950s | 96 per million |
| 1960s | 150 per million |
| 1970s | 209 per million |
| 1980s | 190 per million |
| 1990s | 174 per million |
| 2000s | 129 per million |
| 2010s | 101 per million |
| 2020s | 106 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,379 | #1,533 | #1,403 | #1,279 | #1,397 | #1,352 | #1,404 | #1,385 | #1,162 | #1,240 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Silvia
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
Names spelled like Silvia
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- SelviCypress (Turkish, girl)
- SilvanaOf the woods (Latin, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- SilvioOf the forest (Latin, boy)
- ForrestOf the forest (Old French, boy)
- LinForest; fine jade (depends on characters) (Chinese, unisex)
- OihanForest (Basque, boy)
- SilvestreOf the forest (Latin, boy)
Middle names for Silvia
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from Latin
- LauraLaurel tree (Latin, girl)
- OliviaOlive tree (Latin, girl)
- CarinaDear, beloved (Latin, girl)
- EmiliaRival, striving to equal (Latin, girl)
- FloraFlower, blossom (Latin, girl)
- MarinaOf the sea (Latin, girl)
- ReginaQueen (Latin, girl)
- ValentinaStrong, healthy (Latin, girl)
- CelesteHeavenly, of the sky (Latin, girl)
- ClaraClear, bright (Latin, girl)
Silvia: common questions
What does the name Silvia mean?
Silvia comes from Latin and means "of the forest".
Is Silvia a boy or girl name?
Silvia is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Silvia come from?
Silvia comes from Latin and means "of the forest". Today it is used in Italian, Spanish and Portuguese.
How do you pronounce Silvia?
In Italian, say SEEL-vyah. In Spanish, say SEEL-byah. Pronunciation can vary between languages and regions.
How popular is the name Silvia?
Silvia ranked #1,240 in the US in 2025, with 182 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Silvia?
Forms of Silvia with the same meaning and origin include Selva (Spanish), Sylvia (English), Sylvie (French) and Sylwia (Polish).
What middle names go with Silvia?
Middle names that flow well with Silvia include Esme, Hope, Jade, Joan and Lydia. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.