Sydney is a unisex given name of English origin, meaning "wide island." It was originally used as a surname for people from Sydney, Australia, but has since become popular as a given name for both boys and girls.
The city of Sydney, Australia, which lends its name to the given name Sydney, was founded in 1788 by Governor Arthur Phillip. He named the city after Thomas Townshend, Viscount Sydney, who was the British Home Secretary at the time and had approved the proposal for a new colony in Australia.
The name Sydney has gained popularity as a given name in recent years. In the United States, it ranked within the top 1000 names for both boys and girls in the early 2000s, but its popularity has since declined slightly. Despite this, Sydney remains a popular choice among parents looking for a unique and meaningful name for their child.
Overall, the name Sydney is of English origin and means "wide island." It was originally used as a surname but has since become popular as a given name for both boys and girls. The name's popularity can be attributed to its association with the city of Sydney, Australia, which was named after Thomas Townshend, Viscount Sydney.
The given statistics show the annual number of births with the name Sydney in the United States from 1886 to 2023. The name's popularity has fluctuated over time, with periods of relative obscurity followed by increased usage.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the name Sydney was quite rare, with fewer than 10 births per year between 1886 and 1904. However, beginning in 1905, there was a notable increase in the number of babies named Sydney, with 21 births that year. This trend continued, with peaks in popularity occurring around the World Wars: 39 births in 1916, 44 in 1918, and 47 in 1944.
After World War II, the name Sydney experienced a significant decline in popularity, with fewer than 20 births per year from 1955 to 1973. However, starting in 1976, there was another resurgence of the name's usage, with numbers steadily increasing until reaching an all-time high of 4737 births in 1994.
The late 20th and early 21st centuries have seen a gradual decrease in the popularity of the name Sydney. Despite this decline, it remains relatively common, with 1168 births recorded in 2022. In total, from 1886 to 2023, there were 176,305 babies named Sydney born in the United States.
These statistics demonstrate the cyclical nature of name popularity and show that, while the name Sydney has experienced periods of both high and low usage, it has maintained a consistent presence throughout American history.