Meaning and Origin of the Name Cynthia

The name Cynthia comes from the Greek Kynthia. The meaning of Cynthia is woman from Kynthos. As legend has it, it was one of the names of the moon goddess, Artemis, who was born on Mount Cynthus.

Popularity

It wasn’t until the Renaissance that it was used as a given name and wasn’t commonly used in the English-speaking world until the 19th century. The popularity of Cynthia peaked in the late 1950s and early ‘60s, and it is no longer on the list of top baby girl names in England.

Famous People with the Name

If your name is Cynthia, your parents made a great choice. You share your name with some talented and famous women, including Grammy and Daytime Emmy Award winner Cynthia Erivo, John Lennon’s first wife and Julian Lenon’s mother, Cynthia Lennon, and actress and activist Cynthia Nixon, who won a Primetime Emmy Award for her role in HBO’s Sex and the City.

Other famous Cynthias are American songwriter Cynthia Weil, and basketball star and coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke.

Useful Resources

Discover the meaning and popularity of other English girls’ names.