Sybil
From the Greek sibylla, the word for a prophetess. Medieval Christians treated the ancient sibyls as pagan foretellers of Christ, which made the name usable.
Sybil in 2025
Sybil was given to 152 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 2,676th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 21,811 babies born.
The history of Sybil
Sybil reached its highest point in 1921, when 541 babies were given the name, ranking 527th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 515th, in 1919.
Across the 145 years of records since 1881, 20,365 babies have been named Sybil. Half of them were born before 1937, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Silent Generation.
Sybil by decade
| Decade | Babies named Sybil | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 87 | 1,149 |
| 1890s | 280 | 641 |
| 1900s | 640 | 584 |
| 1910s | 2,509 | 515 |
| 1920s | 4,442 | 527 |
| 1930s | 3,119 | 597 |
| 1940s | 2,709 | 625 |
| 1950s | 1,887 | 1,011 |
| 1960s | 1,396 | 1,225 |
| 1970s | 931 | 1,738 |
| 1980s | 471 | 2,215 |
| 1990s | 198 | 5,343 |
| 2000s | 150 | 10,279 |
| 2010s | 735 | 3,083 |
| 2020s | 811 | 2,676 |
Where Sybil is heading
Sybil has risen 67% over the past decade, from 91 babies in 2015 to 152 in 2025.
Names like Sybil
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Sybil.