Given name & surname
Sylvan
“a woodland dweller”
Sylvan is a variant of Silvanus. One Latin interpretation is “a woodland dweller.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Sylvan is a variant of Silvanus. One Latin interpretation is “a woodland dweller.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Sylvan is a variant of Silvanus. An origin associated with Silvanus is Latin.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English usage, Sylvan as a surname developed from Sylvain.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1886. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Sylvan through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 3,813
- 3,684 boys · 129 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 111 babies
- 2025
- 111
- #1,674 for boys · #8,811 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +107%
- Rising fast
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 89% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 99 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,674 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 98.0% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 103 in 1918. It also appeared in 12 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (13). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,821 as a first name in 2020; 527 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Sylvan’s family of names
In English usage, Sylvan as a surname developed from the French form Sylvain. Sylvan has a related form in Silvanus. In Greek usage, Sylvan as a surname is a transliteration of Συλβάν.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 2
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 5
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Sylvan
- Sylvan Ebanks-BlakeBritish footballer (born 1986)
- Sylvan AdamsCanadian-Israeli Philanthropistborn 1958
- Sylvan GoldmanAmerican inventor (1898–1984)
- Sylvan AndertonEnglish footballer (born 1934)
- Sylvan MuldoonAmerican writer (1903–1971)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Sylvan, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Cillian
“one who suffers strife”
>99% boys
Sullivan
“having dark eyes”
91% boys · 9% girls
Sylas
“a woodland dweller”
99% boys · 1% girls
Samson
“sun man”
>99% boys
Soren
“one who is strict; stern”
94% boys · 6% girls
Kieran
“having dark features; the little dark one”
97% boys · 3% girls
Silas
“a woodland dweller”
>99% boys
Cyrus
“a king”
99% boys · 1% girls