Sydney
Girl name · #348 in 2025 · Uniqueness 61/100
In 2025, 873 baby girls were named Sydney, placing it at #348 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #122, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,062 girls born in 2025 was named Sydney.
The 139-year story
Sydney first appears in the Social Security records in 1886, when 8 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2000, when 10,243 girls were named Sydney — good for #23 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. 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 Sydney per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Sydney against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Sydney in class?
Sydney scores 61 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Sydney is most common
Geography matters for names, and Sydney is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Sydneys were CA (93), TX (69), NY (45), PA (45), FL (44). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Sydney
Statistically, parents drawn to Sydney tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Delaney, Bailey, Cassidy, Destiny, and Serena.
DelaneyBaileyCassidyDestinySerenaHaleySierraLaney
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Sydney | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 873 | #348 |
| 2024 | 1,104 | #288 |
| 2023 | 1,003 | #307 |
| 2022 | 1,169 | #271 |
| 2021 | 1,231 | #249 |
| 2020 | 1,246 | #241 |
| 2019 | 1,535 | #197 |
| 2018 | 1,757 | #164 |
| 2017 | 2,013 | #146 |
| 2016 | 2,322 | #135 |
| 2015 | 2,660 | #122 |
| 2014 | 2,855 | #109 |
| 2013 | 3,177 | #98 |
| 2012 | 3,456 | #78 |
| 2011 | 3,974 | #65 |
| 2010 | 4,335 | #60 |
| 2009 | 5,061 | #48 |
| 2008 | 5,264 | #49 |
| 2007 | 6,032 | #37 |
| 2006 | 6,516 | #34 |
| 2005 | 7,376 | #30 |
| 2004 | 8,368 | #27 |
| 2003 | 8,911 | #25 |
| 2002 | 9,034 | #23 |
| 2001 | 9,639 | #23 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Sydney a popular girl name?
Sydney ranked #348 among girls in 2025 with 873 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #122.
When was the name Sydney most popular?
Sydney peaked in 2000, when 10,243 American girls received the name (ranked #23 that year). Since 2000 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Sydney?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,062 newborn American girls was named Sydney. It scores 61/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
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.