Given name
Sybil
“a prophetess; a seer”
In English use, Sybil has a related form in Cybil. In Greek use, Cybil carries the interpretation “a prophetess; a seer.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Sybil has a related form in Cybil. In Greek use, Cybil carries the interpretation “a prophetess; a seer.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Sybil is a form of Sibyl. Sibyl comes from Latin, and ultimately from Ancient Greek.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1881. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Sybil through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 20,365
- 5 boys · 20,360 girls
- Most popular year
- 1921
- 541 babies
- 2025
- 152
- #1,426 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +29%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 152 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 1,426 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 28.9% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 541 in 1921. In 2025, California and Texas shared the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (10 each). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 9,208 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Sybil’s family of names
In English usage, Sybil shares a linguistic root with the Estonian form PILLE. Sybil has an alternative spelling in Sibyl. In English usage, Sybil has a related form in Sibyl.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 10
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Sybilleequivalent
- Sybillaequivalent
- Sibyllaequivalent
- Sibylaequivalent
- Cybilleequivalent
- Szibillaequivalent
- Sibil·laequivalent
- Pillecognate · Estonian
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People named Sybil
- Sibylla of Jerusalemqueen of Jerusalem (c.1160-1190) (r.1186-1190)
- Sybil DanningAustrian actressborn 1947
- Sybil BauerAmerican swimmer, Olympic gold medalist, former world record-holder (1903-1927)
- Sybil ThorndikeBritish actress (1882–1976)
- Sybil LudingtonAmerican revolutionary heroine (1761-1839)
- Sybil SeelyAmerican actress (1902–1984)1900–1984
- Sibylla of ArmeniaPrincess Consort of Antioch and Countess Consort of Tripoli
- Sybil JasonAmerican actress (1927-2011)
- Sybil ChristopherWelsh actress (1929–2013)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Sybil, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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