Sylvia
/ˈsɪl.vi.ə/noun
A feminine given name derived from the Latin name Silvia, associated with the forest.
Did you know?In Roman mythology, Rhea Silvia—also called Silvia—was the Vestal Virgin who bore Romulus and Remus after Mars fathered them.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Latin
Latin
silva
“Forest or woodland”
Classical Latin
Latin
Silvia
“A Roman feminine name connected with silva, “forest””
1st Century BCE–1st Century CE
Latin
Rhea Silvia
“The mythic Vestal Virgin and mother of Romulus and Remus”
Late Antiquity
Latin
Silvia
“A Christian feminine personal name; Saint Silvia was traditionally the mother of Gregory the Great”
Middle Ages
Latin/Italian
Silvia
“A continuing European feminine given name”
19th Century
English
Sylvia
“An English spelling variant of Silvia, using y to evoke the Latin woodland association”
Modern English
English
Sylvia
“A feminine given name”
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