Given name & surname
Cynthia
Cynthia is a feminine given name from Latin, ultimately from Ancient Greek. It is used in English, Tagalog, Indonesian, Cebuano, and 1 other language.
Original GreekΚύνθια
Meaning & origin
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Greek.
How it developed
In Latin usage, Cynthia is a feminine form of CYNTHIUS. In Latin usage, Cynthia is a feminine form of Κυνθία.
The story
In mythological stories, Cynthia is a name for the moon goddess.
Cynthia through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 713,412
- 1,959 boys · 711,453 girls
- Most popular year
- 1957
- 39,416 babies
- 2025
- 247
- #1,014 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −27%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 247 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 1,014 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 27.0% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 39,340 in 1957. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (29). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 597,780 as a first name in 2020; a sample rank of No. 64,777 among surnames in 1990.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Cynthia’s family of names
In English usage, Cynthia has a diminutive in Cindy. Cynthia shares a linguistic root with Cinzia. Cynthia has a related form in Cinthia.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Cynthia has relatives in 12 languages. Lines run from its Ancient Greek roots to each of them.
20 related names in 12 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 41
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Cindypet form · English, German
- Cinthiavariant
- Sindydiminutive · English
- Cintiavariant · Spanish
- Cynnthialikely variant
- Cyndiediminutive · English
- Cyndydiminutive · English
- Cyndidiminutive · English
Show 33 moreShow fewer
- Cindidiminutive · English
- Cindelvariant
- Cindiavariant
- Cindeyvariant
- Cyntiavariant · Polish
- Cynthyavariant
- Cynthievariant
- Cyntheavariant
- Cyndravariant
- Cyndiavariant
- Cyndeevariant
- Cyndavariant
- Cynvariant
- Cinziavariant · Italian
- Cindievariant
- Cindeevariant
- Cindavariant
- Sintiavariant
- Cintyavariant
- Cindravariant · English
- Cyntthialikely variant
- Inchakdiminutive · ceb
- Ichakdiminutive · ceb
- Chakdiminutive · ceb
- Cíntiavariant · Portuguese
- Cintheavariant
- Cindeavariant
- Cyndeavariant
- Cynziavariant
- Cytiavariant
- Cynnievariant
- Cinnyvariant
- Cinnievariant
Spellings & scripts 8
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 8
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Cynthia
- Cyndi LauperAmerican singerborn 1953
- Cynthia NixonAmerican actress and politicianborn 1966
- Cynthia ErivoBritish actress and singer-songwriter (born 1987)
- Cindy ShermanAmerican photographer (born 1954)
- Cynthia Lennonformer wife of John Lennon (1939-2015)
- Jeanne ShaheenUnited States Senator from New Hampshireborn 1947
- Cindy KiroNew Zealand Governor-General, former academic and social justice advocateborn 1958
- Cynthia WatrosAmerican actressborn 1968
- Cynthia RothrockAmerican actress and martial artistborn 1957
Characters named Cynthia: Cynthia (the Pokémon franchise).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Cynthia, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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