How to say it
SYL · vie
/ˈsɪl.vi/
Feminine
Sylvie
Of the forest
What it means
The French form of Sylvia, from the Latin silva, 'wood' or 'forest.'
Sylvie is the trim French form of Silvia, from Latin silva, 'forest.' In Roman legend Rhea Silvia was the mother of Romulus and Remus, and a St. Silvia was the mother of Pope Gregory the Great. The French spelling reads chic and slightly bohemian, and it fits neatly with the current taste for woodland and nature names. Syl and Vivi are the casual shorts.
Popularity over time
peaked at #282 in 2025, currently #282 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Spelling
Sylvie is the French form; Sylvia and Silvia are the fuller Latin and Italian versions.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Rhea Silvia mother of Romulus and Remus in Roman mythology
Spelling variants
- Sylvia
- Silvia
- Sylvee
Names with the same feeling
See Sylvie from another angle
By meaning
By style