Unisex nameCurrently #1,374 in the USFalling
Sidney
SID-nee//ˈsɪdni//
2 syllablesPeak year: 19186 lettersStarts with S
Meaning & origin
Wide meadow, or from Saint-Denis
Sidney comes from an English surname, likely meaning 'wide, well-watered meadow', or possibly referencing the French town of Saint-Denis. Historically more common for boys as Sydney/Sidney, it is now widely used for both, especially in its Sydney spelling for girls.
Sidney's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Sidney |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 158 |
| 1881 | 145 |
| 1882 | 155 |
| 1883 | 174 |
| 1884 | 153 |
| 1885 | 180 |
| 1886 | 165 |
| 1887 | 152 |
| 1888 | 178 |
| 1889 | 159 |
| 1890 | 191 |
| 1891 | 135 |
| 1892 | 191 |
| 1893 | 180 |
| 1894 | 179 |
| 1895 | 196 |
| 1896 | 194 |
| 1897 | 171 |
| 1898 | 189 |
| 1899 | 156 |
| 1900 | 241 |
| 1901 | 151 |
| 1902 | 203 |
| 1903 | 181 |
| 1904 | 222 |
| 1905 | 213 |
| 1906 | 225 |
| 1907 | 220 |
| 1908 | 277 |
| 1909 | 245 |
| 1910 | 367 |
| 1911 | 456 |
| 1912 | 1,029 |
| 1913 | 1,116 |
| 1914 | 1,376 |
| 1915 | 1,678 |
| 1916 | 1,713 |
| 1917 | 1,782 |
| 1918 | 1,939 |
| 1919 | 1,775 |
| 1920 | 1,664 |
| 1921 | 1,649 |
| 1922 | 1,669 |
| 1923 | 1,605 |
| 1924 | 1,560 |
| 1925 | 1,389 |
| 1926 | 1,419 |
| 1927 | 1,435 |
| 1928 | 1,266 |
| 1929 | 1,113 |
| 1930 | 1,124 |
| 1931 | 985 |
| 1932 | 1,017 |
| 1933 | 1,025 |
| 1934 | 1,010 |
| 1935 | 1,066 |
| 1936 | 1,033 |
| 1937 | 968 |
| 1938 | 965 |
| 1939 | 924 |
| 1940 | 1,001 |
| 1941 | 974 |
| 1942 | 1,116 |
| 1943 | 1,153 |
| 1944 | 985 |
| 1945 | 918 |
| 1946 | 1,100 |
| 1947 | 1,215 |
| 1948 | 1,064 |
| 1949 | 1,034 |
| 1950 | 1,154 |
| 1951 | 1,123 |
| 1952 | 1,128 |
| 1953 | 1,102 |
| 1954 | 1,118 |
| 1955 | 1,116 |
| 1956 | 1,035 |
| 1957 | 930 |
| 1958 | 921 |
| 1959 | 898 |
| 1960 | 940 |
| 1961 | 900 |
| 1962 | 841 |
| 1963 | 737 |
| 1964 | 788 |
| 1965 | 691 |
| 1966 | 681 |
| 1967 | 646 |
| 1968 | 609 |
| 1969 | 581 |
| 1970 | 549 |
| 1971 | 474 |
| 1972 | 496 |
| 1973 | 406 |
| 1974 | 395 |
| 1975 | 388 |
| 1976 | 367 |
| 1977 | 385 |
| 1978 | 332 |
| 1979 | 353 |
| 1980 | 382 |
| 1981 | 376 |
| 1982 | 382 |
| 1983 | 381 |
| 1984 | 375 |
| 1985 | 434 |
| 1986 | 386 |
| 1987 | 418 |
| 1988 | 465 |
| 1989 | 515 |
| 1990 | 575 |
| 1991 | 708 |
| 1992 | 752 |
| 1993 | 821 |
| 1994 | 961 |
| 1995 | 1,295 |
| 1996 | 1,203 |
| 1997 | 1,392 |
| 1998 | 1,514 |
| 1999 | 1,571 |
| 2000 | 1,554 |
| 2001 | 1,368 |
| 2002 | 1,213 |
| 2003 | 1,236 |
| 2004 | 1,103 |
| 2005 | 1,056 |
| 2006 | 1,000 |
| 2007 | 922 |
| 2008 | 853 |
| 2009 | 825 |
| 2010 | 691 |
| 2011 | 644 |
| 2012 | 549 |
| 2013 | 492 |
| 2014 | 462 |
| 2015 | 450 |
| 2016 | 456 |
| 2017 | 402 |
| 2018 | 383 |
| 2019 | 355 |
| 2020 | 307 |
| 2021 | 296 |
| 2022 | 331 |
| 2023 | 288 |
| 2024 | 254 |
Sidney through the decades
- Sidney peaked in 1918, when 1,939 babies were named Sidney in the US.
- The 1920s were Sidney's strongest decade, averaging 1,477 births a year.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Sidney has fallen 53% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Sidney currently ranks #1,374 in the US and is cooling off.
Nicknames
Sid
Variants & spellings
Sydney
Famous people named Sidney
- Sidney Poitier — actor