Synthia
A feminine name derived from the French word "synthèse," meaning "combination" or "synthesis."
Name Census estimates that about 2,090 living Americans carry the first name Synthia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Synthia today is around 44 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Synthia births was 1965 (67 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Synthia. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
2.1K
~ 1 in 163,997 Americans
Peak year
1965
67 babies that year
Average age
44
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,966
Tracked since 1890
Census
Synthia in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 2,479 people with the first name Synthia, which placed it at #6,469 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#6,469
National first-name rank
People counted
2.5K
2,479 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.8
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
46.7% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Synthia
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Synthia is White at 46.7%. The next largest groups are Black (22.8%) and Hispanic (21.9%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Synthia described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Synthia at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White46.7% · 1,157
- Black or African American22.8% · 564
- Hispanic or Latino21.9% · 542
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.0% · 100
- Two or more races3.5% · 87
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 29
Popularity
Synthia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Synthia from the 1890s through to the 2020s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 511 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Synthia by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Synthia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Synthias live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Synthia, while Illinois, Ohio, Georgia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 64 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Synthia
The name Synthia originates from the ancient Greek language, tracing its roots back to the classical period of the 5th century BC. It is believed to be derived from the Greek word "synthesis," which means a combination or composition. This etymology suggests that the name may have been associated with the concept of unity or bringing different elements together harmoniously.
In ancient Greek mythology, there are no specific references to a figure named Synthia. However, the name's connection to the concept of synthesis aligns with the philosophical and intellectual pursuits of the ancient Greeks, who valued the integration of knowledge and the pursuit of wisdom.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Synthia can be found in ancient Greek texts and historical records, though its usage was relatively rare. It is worth noting that variations in spelling, such as "Syntheia" or "Syntheia," may have existed during the classical era.
Throughout history, a few notable individuals have borne the name Synthia. One of the earliest examples is Synthia of Cyzicus, a Greek philosopher and scholar who lived in the 3rd century BC. She was known for her contributions to the study of ethics and her writings on the nature of virtue.
In the 2nd century AD, there was Synthia of Alexandria, a renowned mathematician and astronomer. She is credited with developing advanced methods for calculating the positions of celestial bodies and contributing to the field of trigonometry.
During the Renaissance period, Synthia Aretino (1492-1556) was an Italian poet and humanist scholar. Her works, which often explored themes of love and nature, were highly regarded by her contemporaries.
In the 19th century, Synthia Trent (1825-1892) was a British author and social reformer. She wrote extensively on issues related to women's rights and education, advocating for greater opportunities and equality.
Another notable figure was Synthia Delaunay (1885-1979), a French artist and painter associated with the Orphism and Cubist movements. Her vibrant and abstract works, characterized by bold colors and geometric shapes, earned her recognition as a pioneering figure in modern art.
While the name Synthia has not been as widely popular as some other names throughout history, it has a rich and fascinating etymology rooted in ancient Greek culture and intellectual traditions. Its connection to the concept of synthesis and the pursuit of knowledge and harmony has made it a unique and intriguing choice for individuals seeking a name with deeper meaning and historical significance.
People
Synthia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Synthia as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Synthia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Synthia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,090 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Synthia going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 163,997 US residents.
Is Synthia a common name?
We classify Synthia as "Rare". It ranks above 93.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,421 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Synthia most popular?
The single biggest year for Synthia was 1965, when 67 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Synthia is about 44 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Synthia in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 2,479 people with the name Synthia, or 0.82 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #6,469 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Synthia in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Synthia?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Synthia appears almost entirely female. Of the 2,484 people counted with this name, 99.7% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Synthia?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Synthia is White at 46.7%. The next largest groups are Black (22.8%) and Hispanic (21.9%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Synthia most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Synthia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 46.7% (1,157 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Synthia in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Synthia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Synthia in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Synthia still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Synthia in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Synthia can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many people have Synthia as a first name?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.