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Home β€Ί Baby Names Directory β€Ί Sidney

Sidney

β™‚ Boy

How to Pronounce Sidney

Pronounced SID-nee /ˈsΙͺd.niː/Low

Meaning: Wide island; Saint Denis's islandLow

In 30 seconds: Sidney is an English place name meaning wide island or Saint Denis's island. As a given name it was popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries for both boys and girls and carries a distinguished vintage quality.
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Origin LowEnglish
MeaningWide island; Saint Denis's island
U.S. rank (2025)#1327 β†— Rising
2025 U.S. births146 boys (0.01% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1918
Total births (all-time)β‰ˆ 84,056
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Popularity in the U.S. Β· SSA data

peak 191818802025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Sidney derives from the Old English place name meaning wide island or Saint Denis's island. It became a surname and then a given name.

Sidney has a distinguished vintage quality, associated with actor Sidney Poitier and director Sidney Lumet.

Did you know? The famous Australian city of Sydney was named after British politician Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney β€” making Sidney/Sydney a name with unexpected Down Under connections.
Overall data confidence 90%
Behind the Name: sidney

Variations

SydneySidSydny

Nicknames

Sid

Famous Bearers

  • β˜…Sidney Poitier (1927–2022)
    Bahamian-American actor, the first Black man to win the Academy Award for Best Actor (1964)

If you like Sidney…

Sydneyβ€” Standard spelling variant
Harveyβ€” Two-syllable vintage masculine name
Stanleyβ€” Two-syllable classic of same era
Rodneyβ€” a fellow English choice
Marleyβ€” a similarly popular pick

Explore names like Sidney

By themeenglishvintageclassicplace-nametwo-syllablesaintgender-neutral

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does Sidney mean?

Wide island; Saint Denis's island

How do you pronounce Sidney?

Sidney is pronounced SID-nee.

What is the origin of Sidney?

Sidney comes from English.

What names are similar to Sidney?

Similar names include sydney, harvey, stanley.

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