Cynthia
Girl name · #1015 in 2025 · Uniqueness 68/100
Cynthia is currently the #1015 girl name in the United States — 247 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #540, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 7,287 girls born in 2025 was named Cynthia.
The 145-year story
Cynthia first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 61 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1957, when 39,340 girls were named Cynthia — good for #7 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Cynthia per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Cynthia against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Cynthia in class?
Cynthia scores 68 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your Cynthia will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Cynthia is most common
Geography matters for names, and Cynthia is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Cynthias were CA (29), TX (25), NY (17), OH (13), PA (11). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Cynthia
Statistically, parents drawn to Cynthia tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Carla, Patricia, Teresa, Brenda, and Theresa.
CarlaPatriciaTeresaBrendaTheresaBarbaraClaudiaAnita
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Cynthia | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 247 | #1013 |
| 2024 | 331 | #829 |
| 2023 | 308 | #871 |
| 2022 | 315 | #885 |
| 2021 | 346 | #806 |
| 2020 | 308 | #873 |
| 2019 | 378 | #746 |
| 2018 | 419 | #692 |
| 2017 | 462 | #636 |
| 2016 | 552 | #563 |
| 2015 | 580 | #540 |
| 2014 | 636 | #492 |
| 2013 | 601 | #500 |
| 2012 | 750 | #419 |
| 2011 | 733 | #428 |
| 2010 | 835 | #380 |
| 2009 | 893 | #361 |
| 2008 | 1,076 | #310 |
| 2007 | 1,234 | #278 |
| 2006 | 1,420 | #239 |
| 2005 | 1,574 | #221 |
| 2004 | 1,521 | #222 |
| 2003 | 1,662 | #199 |
| 2002 | 1,833 | #176 |
| 2001 | 1,921 | #169 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Cynthia a popular girl name?
Cynthia ranked #1015 among girls in 2025 with 247 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #540.
When was the name Cynthia most popular?
Cynthia peaked in 1957, when 39,340 American girls received the name (ranked #7 that year). Since 1957 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Cynthia?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 7,287 newborn American girls was named Cynthia. It scores 68/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.