Cynthia
/ˈsɪn.θi.ə/
Cynthia is a Latinized form of the Greek Kynthia, meaning “woman from Cynthus.” Mount Cynthus is a sacred hill on the island of Delos in the Aegean Sea - birthplace of the twin deities Apollo and Artemis in Greek mythology. Artemis, goddess of the hunt and the moon, was called Cynthia as an epithet, and the name carried that lunar, wild, divine association into the Roman and later English tradition.
Roman poets adopted Cynthia as a poetic name for the moon and for idealized women. Propertius, the Augustan elegist writing around 30 BC, famously used Cynthia as the name for his beloved in his Elegies - the opening poem reads “Cynthia prima suis miserum me cepit ocellis” (Cynthia first enslaved me with her eyes). This gave the name enormous literary prestige in Renaissance and Elizabethan England.
In America, Cynthia climbed steeply through the mid-20th century, reaching its peak in 1957 when it ranked No. 7 nationally. That peak generation produced millions of Cynthias - and the nickname Cindy - who are now grandmothers, making the full name feel simultaneously classic and vintage-revival territory.
What the name Cynthia means
Cynthia has three syllables: SIN-thee-uh. The formal version carries elegance; Cindy brings it down to earth. Parents who use Cynthia today often do so deliberately, choosing the full name over the nickname as a sign of the name's coming rehabilitation.
Cynthia ranked No. 826 in the United States in 2024 with approximately 379 births - a long descent from its mid-century peak but with signs of gradual stabilization as the name ages into vintage territory.
Numerology and symbolism
Based on Pythagorean numerology — a traditional system linking name letters to numbers. Presented for cultural interest.
Cynthia - similar names
Not seeing what you want? Browse all names by origin or popularity