Fun Facts About the Name Sylvanus
- 470 babies named Sylvanus: U.S. records list 470 babies given the name Sylvanus from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Sylvanus Mean?
Sylvanus is a masculine name of Latin origin meaning 'of the woods' or 'woodland.' It is a spelling variant of Silvanus, from Latin silva (also written sylva), meaning 'wood' or 'forest,' with the adjectival suffix -anus. The y in Sylvanus reflects the alternative Latin spelling sylva; it does not indicate a separate root. In Roman religion, Silvanus was a god of woods, fields, and boundaries. The divine name and the personal name share the same derivation, but the god's rural functions are associations rather than the literal sense of the name. Related forms include Silvanus, Sylvain, and Sylvan; the feminine Sylvia also comes from silva.
Sylvanus Name History & Origins
Silvanus was used in ancient Rome as a cognomen, the third element of a Roman man's name, and it was also the name of a rural god. The god Silvanus was associated with woods, fields, and farm boundaries; his cult belonged to country life. The name entered Christian usage through the New Testament figure Silvanus, a companion of Paul who is traditionally identified with Silas; the Greek text calls him Silouanos. The spelling Sylvanus, with y, is a Latin and English variant of Silvanus, matching the alternative spelling sylva. English-speaking families have used Sylvanus as a given name, and Sylvanus Thayer, born in Massachusetts in 1783 and later superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy, is a notable American bearer.
How Popular is the Name Sylvanus?
Sylvanus recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1915. Its best rank was #848 in 1894.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #13,658 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2024 | #10,738 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2023 | #9,622 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2021 | #10,648 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2020 | #11,844 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2017 | #14,001 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2015 | #9,456 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2014 | #11,928 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2013 | #11,968 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2011 | #12,080 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2005 | #8,983 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2004 | #12,978 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2003 | #10,703 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2002 | #12,260 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2001 | #10,385 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2000 | #11,902 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1998 | #9,499 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1993 | #9,972 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1991 | #9,453 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1986 | #7,691 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1983 | #7,204 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1982 | #4,543 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1980 | #4,458 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1976 | #6,391 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1974 | #5,910 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1970 | #5,354 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1963 | #4,559 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1956 | #3,892 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1953 | #3,398 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1948 | #4,132 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1947 | #3,342 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1946 | #2,672 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1944 | #2,841 | 8 | 0.0006% |
| 1943 | #3,987 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1942 | #3,526 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1937 | #2,887 | 8 | 0.0008% |
| 1936 | #3,507 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1934 | #3,638 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1932 | #2,821 | 9 | 0.0009% |
| 1930 | #4,487 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1929 | #2,744 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1928 | #4,664 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1927 | #2,684 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1926 | #2,888 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1925 | #2,421 | 13 | 0.0012% |
| 1924 | #3,824 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1923 | #3,149 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1922 | #2,329 | 14 | 0.0013% |
| 1921 | #3,830 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1920 | #2,743 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1919 | #2,496 | 12 | 0.0012% |
| 1918 | #3,337 | 8 | 0.0008% |
| 1917 | #3,511 | 7 | 0.0008% |
| 1916 | #2,904 | 9 | 0.0010% |
| 1915 | #1,958 | 15 | 0.0018% |
| 1914 | #1,855 | 13 | 0.0020% |
| 1913 | #1,930 | 10 | 0.0020% |
| 1912 | #2,244 | 7 | 0.0016% |
| 1904 | #1,381 | 5 | 0.0039% |
| 1900 | #1,291 | 6 | 0.0040% |
| 1894 | #848 | 8 | 0.0069% |
| 1885 | #927 | 6 | 0.0056% |
| 1883 | #873 | 6 | 0.0057% |
| 1882 | #933 | 6 | 0.0053% |
| 1880 | #1,044 | 5 | 0.0045% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Sylvanus Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are spiritually intense and can sting or charm. Your name brings love and new starts into life and attracts money. In business, you are the creator and promoter of original ideas and usually enjoy considerable financial success. You are inventive, intuitive and extremely methodical. Since your will is so strong, you are hard to convince. You also dislike advice. You love beauty and philosophy, and you desire achievement. You have a strong need for freedom - physical, mental and spiritual.
You are very intuitive. You have a reservoir of inspired wisdom combined with inherited analytical ability, which could reward you through expressions of spiritual leadership, business analysis, marketing, artistic visions, and scientific research. Operating on spiritual side of your individuality can bring you to the great heights, and drop you off if you neglect your spiritual identity. You are always looking for an opportunity to investigate the unknown, to use and show your mental abilities, to find the purpose and meaning of life. You want to grow wise and to understand people and things. You need privacy to replenish your energy. You have a unique way of thinking, intuitive, reflective, absorbing.
✦ Sylvanus's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Sylvanus's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.