The story behind Silvia
Feminine form of Silvius, from Latin silva (“forest”). In myths, Rhea Silvia was the mother of famous twins Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. 6th-century saint Silvia was the mother of the pope Gregory the Great.
Other language forms and explanations (2)
Italian entry
Feminine form of Silvius, from Latin silva (“forest”).
Spanish entry
Feminine form of Silvius, from Latin silva (“forest”).
Pronunciation
English; dialect unspecified: /ˈsɪlvi.ə/
Regional pronunciation variants
- Italian: /ˈsil.vja/
- Spanish: /ˈsilbja/
- Spanish: [ˈsil.β̞ja]
Popularity
Silvia ranked #1240 in US for 2025.
Source: SSA national baby names
Names Similar to Silvia
Sabina
Name of early saints, Latin Sabīna, feminine of the Roman cognomen Sabīnus (“a Sabine”), from an ancient tribe from Italy. Learned borrowing from Latin Sabīna.
- Gender
- mixed
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends A
- same syllable count
- similar length
Salomea
Learned borrowing from Latin Salomea, from Ancient Greek Σαλώμη (Salṓmē), from Biblical Hebrew שְׁלוֹמִית.
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends A
- same syllable count
- similar length
Sébrina
Borrowed from Spanish Sébrina. From Latin Sabina.
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends A
- same syllable count
- similar length
Selina
First recorded in England in the 17th century, possibly from Latin Caelīna (“heavenly”), or a variant of Selene, the Ancient Greek goddess of the moon. From German Selina, or…
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends A
- same syllable count
- similar length
Serena
From the name of an early Christian saint, Latin serena (“serene”). Borrowed from English Serena.
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends A
- same syllable count
- similar length
Sílvia
Borrowed from Latin Silvia, from silva (“wood, forest”).
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends A
- same syllable count
- similar length
Middle Names for Silvia
Æmile
From Latin Aemilius. See also French Émile.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 1 syllable
- Ending
- ends E
- balanced syllable contrast
- good length contrast
Baldovino
From Latin Balduinus, from Frankish *Baldawin, from Proto-Germanic *Balþawiniz (literally “bold friend”).
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 4 syllables
- Ending
- ends O
- balanced syllable contrast
- good length contrast
Bartolomeu
From Old Galician-Portuguese Bartolomeu, from Latin Bartholomaeus, from Ancient Greek Βαρθολομαῖος (Bartholomaîos), from Aramaic בר תלמי (bar Tolmai, “son of Tolmai”).
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 4 syllables
- Ending
- ends U
- balanced syllable contrast
- good length contrast
Sibling Names for Silvia
Aarón
a male given name from Latin [in turn from Ancient Greek, in turn from Hebrew], equivalent to English Aaron
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends N
- shared origin connection
- balanced name length
Abdiasz
Learned borrowing from Latin Abdias, from Ancient Greek Ἀβδίας (Abdías), from Hebrew עובדיה.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends Z
- shared origin connection
- balanced name length
Abel
English Abel From Middle English Abel, from Old English Ābel, from Latin Abel, from Ancient Greek Ἅβελ (Hábel), from Biblical Hebrew הֶבֶל (Héḇel, “Abel”), possibly from the…
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends L
- shared origin connection
- balanced name length