Given name & surname
Sylvanus
“a woodland dweller”
Sylvanus is a variant of Silvanus. One Latin interpretation is “a woodland dweller.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Sylvanus is a variant of Silvanus. One Latin interpretation is “a woodland dweller.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Sylvanus is a variant of Silvanus. An origin associated with Silvanus is Latin.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Sylvanus through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 470
- 470 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1915
- 15 babies
- 2025
- 5
- #13,658 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +100%
- Rising fast
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 5 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 13,658 among boys’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. Its largest published annual count for boys was 15 in 1915. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 476 as a first name in 2020; 104 as a surname in 2000.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Sylvanus’s family of names
Sylvanus has a related form in Silvanus.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Sylvanus
- Sylvanus OlympioPresident of Togo (1902-1963)
- Sylvanus MorleyAmerican archaeologist, epigrapher, Mayanist scholar, and WWI spy for the U.S. (1883–1948)
- Sylvanus NimelyLiberian footballerborn 1998
- Sylvanus ThayerUnited States colonel1785–1872
- Sylvanus StallAmerican writer (1847–1915)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Sylvanus, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Sigurd
“the protector of victory”
>99% boys
Cyril
“a master or lord”
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Sylvester
“man from the forest”
>99% boys
Silvio
“a woodland dweller”
>99% boys
Cephas
“as solid as a rock”
>99% boys
Isadore
“a gift from the goddess Isis”
80% boys · 20% girls
Aloysius
Aloysius is a masculine given name from Occitan.
>99% boys
Sumner
“a legal official; one who serves summons”
82% boys · 18% girls