Sidney Unisex

Popularity: #787 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Origin(s)

PronunciationSID-nee / /ˈsɪd.ni/

Old French; English

Meaning

Old French: 'from Sidon'; English: 'wide island'

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Sidney has its roots in Old French, originally derived from a place name. It gained popularity in England during the Middle Ages, often associated with the noble Sidney family. The name has been used for both males and females, though it is predominantly male in contemporary usage. Sidney has also been used as a surname, further embedding it in English heritage.

Trend Summary

Sidney has experienced fluctuating popularity in the United States, peaking in the early to mid-20th century.

Similar Names

SimeonSorenSilasSantiagoSethSaxon

Variants

  • Sid
  • Sidney

International Variants

  • Sidonie (French)
  • Sidonio (Spanish)

Famous people named Sidney

Sidney Poitier was a Bahamian-American actor and film director, renowned for his groundbreaking roles in the 1960s.

Sidney Crosby is a Canadian professional ice hockey player, known for his success with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Sidney Sheldon was an American author and television producer, famous for his bestselling novels and TV series.

Sidney Altman was a Canadian-American biochemist who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1989.

Fictional characters named Sidney

Sidney Bristow is a character from the television series 'Alias', known for her role as a double agent.

Sidney the Science Kid is a character from the children's television series of the same name, promoting science education.

Sibling Suggestions

SawyerSullivanSebastianSimonSampsonSpencer

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Sidney was first seen in the United States in 1880. Sidney has ranked as high as #216 nationally, which occurred in 1918, and has been most popular in New York, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, California, and Illinois. In the past 5 years the name Sidney has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

Top States for Sidney (2024)

StateBirthsShare
CA 19
21%
NY 14
16%
TX 9
10%
MD 7
8%
OR 7
8%
IL 6
7%
MA 6
7%
PA 6
7%
LA 5
6%
FL 5
6%
GA 5
6%

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

YearBirths
1880142
1881129
1882146
1883165
1884142
1885170
1886155
1887144
1888168
1889144
1890176
1891113
1892174
1893163
1894168
1895178
1896176
1897149
1898171
1899144
1900218
1901134
1902175
1903162
1904201
1905196
1906209
1907200
1908253
1909233
1910353
1911432
19121,003
19131,073
19141,337
19151,615
19161,659
19171,727
19181,879
19191,715
19201,610
19211,588
19221,618
19231,543
19241,502
19251,345
19261,350
19271,381
19281,206
19291,058
19301,076
1931937
1932960
1933948
1934932
1935973
1936952
1937905
1938876
1939861
1940927
1941891
19421,000
19431,016
1944900
1945829
19461,010
19471,099
1948991
1949946
19501,076
19511,026
19521,019
19531,013
19541,024
19551,024
1956954
1957844
1958827
1959826
1960848
1961843
1962782
1963672
1964731
1965638
1966615
1967593
1968572
1969549
1970510
1971445
1972462
1973381
1974366
1975347
1976344
1977345
1978296
1979322
1980353
1981335
1982333
1983330
1984311
1985351
1986311
1987322
1988342
1989345
1990368
1991383
1992386
1993401
1994393
1995412
1996375
1997383
1998374
1999353
2000333
2001315
2002274
2003285
2004267
2005222
2006255
2007254
2008270
2009254
2010259
2011231
2012226
2013210
2014167
2015180
2016196
2017177
2018168
2019176
2020166
2021132
2022166
2023160
2024137