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Home › Baby Names Directory › Sylvan

Sylvan

♂ Boy

Pronounced SIL-vuhn /ˈsɪl.vən/Medium

Meaning: Wood, forestMedium

In 30 seconds: Sylvan is an English boy's name meaning 'wood' or 'forest'.
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Origin MediumEnglish
MeaningWood, forest
U.S. rank (2025)#1674 ↗ Rising
2025 U.S. births99 boys (0.01% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1918
Total births (all-time)≈ 3,683

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 191818862025

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

Sylvan means 'wood, forest', drawn from the Latin silva that gives English the word 'sylvan' for anything of the woods. It is the English face of a Latin family that includes Silvius and the Italian Silvio. The inventor Sylvan Goldman (1898–1984), who created the shopping cart in 1937, carried the name.

Its variations Silvius, Silvio, Sílvio and Silviu show the same forest root running through Latin, Italian and Romanian.

Did you know? The meaning usually attached to Sylvan is 'wood, forest', and that core idea is what gives the name most of its long-term appeal.
Overall data confidence 70%
Behind the Name - Sylvan — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

SilviusSilvijoSilvioSílvioSilviu

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

  • ★Sylvan Goldman (1898-1984)
    American businessman and inventor of the shopping cart, which he introduced in his Oklahoma City supermarkets in 1937.

If you like Sylvan…

Silas— Another name traditionally linked to the Latin silva, 'wood'.
Oaklan— echoes that soft -an sound
Talan— a similarly popular pick
Tylan— another English name
Coleman— a similarly popular pick

Explore names like Sylvan

By themeenglishnature
By meaningEarth / Nature

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Sylvan mean?

Sylvan is usually explained as meaning 'wood, forest' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Sylvan?

It's commonly said SIL-vuhn /ˈsjl.væn/.

Is Sylvan a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Sylvan is used as a boy name.

How popular is Sylvan?

In 2024, Sylvan ranked #1911 in the U.S. for boys, with 83 births recorded.

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