Cynthia
2025 SSA
Below 5 births
About Cynthia
Sleek and serious, yet bright and energetic at the same time, Cynthia appears in classic mythology as an epithet for Artemis or Diana. While it is now a more neglected choice, it was once hugely popular in the middle of the 20th-century, peaking at #7 in the US, and in the Top 20 by diminutive Cindy.
The more literal meaning of the name is "woman from Kynthos", though a figurative interpretation is "moon goddess" due to its link to Artemis, the Greek goddess of the moon and the hunt, who was born on the mountain of Cynthus. Diana is her Roman equivalent.
A favorite of Elizabethan poets, Cynthia was first used in the English-speaking world during the Renaissance period, but didn't become a common given name until the 19th-century. Some English writers used the name to denote Queen Elizabeth I as a virgin moon goddess, such as in Ben Jonson's allegorical comedy Cynthia's Revels.
Cynthia also qualifies as a nature name: the two-flowered cynthia is a yellow wildflower in the aster family.
The name appears in Elizabeth Gaskell's final novel, Wives and Daughters, along with the film Cynthia, in which Elizabeth Taylor had one of her first grown up roles. There are also Cynthias in the popular show Call the Midwife and the game franchise, Pokemon.
Notable namesakes include ballerina Cynthia Gregory, writer Cynthia Ozick, actress Cynthia Nixon, and designer Cynthia Rowley. Both Cyndi Lauper and Cindy Crawford were born Cynthia. A contemporary bearer is Cynthia Eviro, the actress and singer who plays Elphaba in the Wicked movies.
A more modern, Cindy-avoiding nickname is Thea, and an attractive Italian form is Cinzia (CHIN-zia).
Cynthia is also given to boys.
Pronounced SIN-thee-uh.
As of October 2026, Cynthia ranked #1014 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #7 in 1957, Nameberry popularity #259.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · girls | Births · girls | US rank · boys | Births · boys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #492 | 635 | — | 0 |
| 2015 | #540 | 580 | — | 0 |
| 2016 | #563 | 552 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | #636 | 462 | — | 0 |
| 2018 | #692 | 419 | — | 0 |
| 2019 | #748 | 378 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | #873 | 308 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | #806 | 346 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | #888 | 314 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | #871 | 308 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | #826 | 331 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | #1,014 | 247 | — | 0 |
World rankings
Cynthia for girls
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Cynthia.
Cynthia on lists
Famous Cynthias
- Cynthia WeilGirl
American songwriter
- Cynthia Ann McKinneyGirl
U.S. Congresswoman from Georgia and Green Party presidential candidate
- Cynthia "Cyn" SantanaGirl
American model and reality TV personality ("Love & Hip Hop")
- Cynthia BaileyGirl
American reality TV personality ("Real Housewives of Atlanta")
- Cynthia DeFeliceGirl
American novelist
- Cynthia D'Aprix SweeneyGirl
American author
- (Cynthia) Jane FellowesGirl
sister of Princess Diana
- Cynthia ErivoGirl
British Broadway actress
- Cynthia Dawn "Cindy" MargolisGirl
American actress and model
- Cynthia "Cindy" Morris ShermanGirl
American photographer & director
- Cynthia Jane "Cindy" WilliamsGirl
American actress
- Cynthia Ann "Cindy" BirdsongGirl
American singer of The Supremes
- Cynthia Ellen NixonGirl
American actress
- Cynthia RylantGirl
American novelist
- Cynthia OzickGirl
American novelist
- Cynthia WatrosGirl
American actress
- Cynthia DornGirl
Scottish,born American actress
- Cynthia Powell LennonGirl
artist and first wife of musician John Lennon
- Cynthia Michele WatrosGirl
American actress
- Cynthia "Cyndi" LauperGirl
American singer
- Cynthia "Cindy" CrawfordGirl
American supermodel
- Cynthia Lynn DanielGirl
American actress; twin sister Brittany Daniel
- Cynthia GearyGirl
American actress
- Cynthia Lynne CooperGirl
Dyke, American basketball player
- Cynthia MenardGirl
Miss World Canada 2017
Cynthia in pop culture
- Cynthia "Cindy" BradyGirl
character on The Brady Bunch
- CynthiaGirl
doll on animated series "Rugrats"
- Cynthia "Cindy" HellerGirl
main character in movie "Blue Valentine"
- CynthiaGirl
mother of Marvel Comics' Doctor Doom
- Cynthia MillerGirl
character on TV series "Call the Midwife"
- CynthiaGirl
Sinnoh Champion in the Pokemon video games
- Cynthia Delano BanekGirl
character in movie "Changing Lanes"
- CynthiaGirl
A character from the game "Fire emblem Awakening"
- CynthiaGirl
character in Freeform's "Recovery Road"
- Cynthia Reynolds aka GypsyGirl
character on TV's "The Flash"
- Cynthia BrandtGirl
character in the webcomic "Riverside Extras" by Miri Chamberlain
- Cynthia HarcourtGirl
character from “I Love Lucy”
Variations & nicknames
More nicknames
- CiaGirl
- CindaGirl
- CindeeGirl
- CindiGirl
- CindraGirl
- CindyGirl
- CinnieGirl
- CinnyGirl
- CinthiaGirl
- CynGirl
- CyndaGirl
- CyndeeGirl
- CyndiGirl
- CyndiaGirl
- CyndieGirl
- CyndraGirl
- CyndyGirl
- CyneriaGirl
- CynethiaGirl
- CynithiaGirl
- CynnieGirl
- CyntheaGirl
- CynthianaGirl
- CynthiannGirl
- CynthieGirl
- CynthriaGirl
- CynthyGirl
- CynthyaGirl
- CyntiaGirl
- CyntriaGirl
- CythiaGirl
- CytiaGirl
- KynthijaGirl
- SindeeGirl
- SindiGirl
- SindyGirl
- SindyaGirl
- SinnieGirl
- SinnyGirl
- SyndaGirl
- SyndeeGirl
- SyndiGirl
- SyndyGirl
- SynthaGirl
- SyntheeGirl
- SyntheeaGirl
- SynthiaGirl
- SynthieGirl
- SynthyaGirl