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The short answer
Sydney is a feminine name used in English. Behind the Name describes it this way: "From a surname that was a variant of the surname Sidney. This is the name of the largest city in Australia, which was named for Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney in 1788." It ranked #348 for girls in the United States in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
According to Behind the Name, from a surname that was a variant of the surname Sidney. This is the name of the largest city in Australia, which was named for Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney in 1788. The entry lists its usage as English.
Editorial confidence: likely
Popularity
Sydney ranked #348 for girls in the United States in 2025. The figure comes from the Social Security Administration's national file for that year.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #348 | ssa-2025 |
If you like this name
Names that Behind the Name files under the same origin (English) and that sit near Sydney in the 2025 American rankings.
Similar by origin
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Sydney mean?
Behind the Name does not give Sydney a one-word meaning. It describes the name as follows: from a surname that was a variant of the surname Sidney.
Is Sydney a popular name?
Sydney ranked #348 for girls in the United States in 2025. (Social Security Administration data).
Is Sydney a boy's or a girl's name?
In the 2025 SSA data Sydney appears in the girls' list; Behind the Name labels it feminine & masculine.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Sydney — supports meaning, usage, pronunciation, variants.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
