Sylvain
How to say it: seel-VAN · /ˈsilvɛ̃/
From Latin 'silva' meaning 'forest' - French form of Silvanus, long used in France and French Canada.
Sylvain was the 12,491st most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 5 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1960s, its births are up 2.0-fold in ten years, and it is projected to rise to #10,873 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #12,491 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 5 |
| Share of births | 1 in 663,068 |
| Peak decade | 1960s |
| Change over 10 years | ×2.0 |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #10,873 |
| In France, 2025 | #1,110 among boys’ names, 20 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Sylvain peaked in the 1960s, nearly vanished by the 2000s, and has come back.
What goes with it
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Sylvain is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in English, French.
In France: #1,110 for boys in 2025.
Famous people named Sylvain
- Sylvain Wiltord (born 1974)French footballer
- Sylvain Distin (born 1977)French footballer
- Sylvain Chavanel (born 1979)French cyclist
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
Keep exploring
About as popular as Sylvain
In the same lists
Find names you'll both love, starting with Sylvain
The one-minute style quiz.