Discover and Shortlist Your Perfect Baby Names!

Sidney as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Sidney

♡Add to my Name List

The baby name Sidney is a Unisex name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈsɪdni/ (SID-nee).

Sidney is English in Origin.

Gender: Unisex
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: English
Pronunciation: /ˈsɪdni/ (SID-nee)

What is the meaning of the name Sidney ?

The baby name Sidney is a Unisex name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈsɪdni/ (SID-nee).

Sidney is English in Origin.

Sidney is an English surname-turned-given name with layered roots. Etymologists trace it either to Norman French place names honoring Saint Denis (St-Denis), adopted in England after the Conquest, or to an Old English toponym built from sīd “wide, broad” + īeg “island, riverside meadow,” yielding the sense “wide island/meadow.” The spelling Sydney is interchangeable today; both share the same history and meanings.

Use as a forename blossomed in Tudor and Stuart England under the prestige of the poet-courtier Sir Philip Sidney and later the republican thinker Algernon Sidney. It became a staple male name in Britain and North America in the 18th–early 20th centuries, then shifted toward unisex, with Sydney especially popular for girls from the 1990s (helped by the Australian city named for Viscount Sydney). Variants and diminutives include Sydney, Sydnee, Cydney, Sid, and Syd; rare feminine forms such as Sidnie also occur.

Sidney has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Sidney

Sidney Poitier Actor · Born 1927 · United States Sidney Poitier was a groundbreaking actor from the United States, best known for his role in 'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner'. He made history as the first Black actor to win an Academy Award for Best Actor with his performance in 'Lilies of the Field'. Poitier also starred in 'In the Heat of the Night', which further cemented his place in film history. Sidney Sheldon Actor · Born 1917 · United States Sidney Sheldon was an American writer and producer, best known for his thrilling novels and television scripts. He created the TV series 'I Dream of Jeannie' and wrote bestselling books like 'Master of the Game' and 'The Other Side of Midnight'. Sidney Sonnino Politician · Born 1847 · Kingdom of Italy Sidney Sonnino was an Italian statesman best known for serving as Italy’s 19th prime minister and later as foreign minister during World War I. He led the country briefly twice, in 1906 and from 1909 to 1910, and represented Italy at the 1919 Paris Peace Conference.
Sid Eudy Actor · Born 1960 · United States Sidney Raymond Eudy was an American professional wrestler best known for his time in WCW and the WWF under the ring names Sid Justice, Sid Vicious, and Sycho Sid. He won the WWF Championship twice and the WCW World Heavyweight Championship twice. Sidney Fox Actor · Born 1907 · United States Sidney Fox was an American actress best known for her role in the 1931 film 'Murders in the Rue Morgue'. She also appeared in 'The Bad Sister' alongside Bette Davis. Her career in Hollywood was brief but memorable during the early 1930s.

Celebrity babies named Sidney

Name Last Name(s) Mother Mother famous for Fame Level Father Father famous for Fame Level
Sidney McCain Carol McCain model ★★★★★ John McCain television presenter ★★★★★
Sidney Wilson Kelly Osbourne television actor ★★★★★ Sid Wilson record producer ★★★★★

Sidney – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Boys 2022 #1 — 794
Germany Boys 2017 #1 — 426
Ireland Girls 2004 #1 — 741
NA 0 #32 2 2,537
PR 0 #55 1 1,497
LU 0 #65 2 2,830
AO 0 #75 3 2,729
JP 0 #76 2 4,057
CN 0 #86 1 3,857
JM 0 #93 1 3,714
TW 0 #99 5 4,523
PH 0 #106 5 5,607
BN Girls 0 #114 1 5,459
KW 0 #121 1 5,216
BW Boys 0 #133 17 4,685
Switzerland Boys 2024 #135 3 1,769
ID Boys 0 #135 1 4,130
BN Boys 0 #137 3 6,332
BR Boys 0 #148 2,826 12,213
BW Girls 0 #150 2 4,216
CR 0 #161 5 5,526
Sweden Girls 2022 #177 3 1,568
MT Boys 0 #178 2 4,064
Sweden Boys 2022 #180 3 1,509
AE 0 #184 4 10,220
CZ 0 #186 1 3,154
LU Girls 0 #190 1 4,850
Belgium Girls 2001 #193 20 420
AO Boys 0 #197 46 5,568
DK 0 #205 2 5,198
LU Boys 0 #207 12 4,970
NA Boys 0 #208 28 6,830
AO Girls 0 #213 5 4,575
AL Girls 0 #227 1 4,141
TW Boys 0 #230 12 7,111
IR 0 #231 1 4,221
MO Boys 0 #232 3 5,842
NA Girls 0 #237 1 7,146
PT 0 #244 7 4,161
EC Boys 0 #245 2 3,322
GH 0 #248 1 5,396
JM Boys 0 #255 18 6,876
EC Girls 0 #257 2 3,650
HR Boys 0 #259 1 3,997
MO Girls 0 #260 4 7,056
BR 0 #263 84 5,969
TW Girls 0 #266 11 8,139
NG 0 #267 6 5,926
JP Boys 0 #270 28 7,909
GR Boys 0 #271 3 6,912
Canada Girls 2024 #272 14 2,795
JM Girls 0 #276 3 7,507
SG 0 #276 7 11,010
PT Boys 0 #277 93 7,951
Canada Boys 2024 #279 28 2,588
IL 0 #281 2 6,291
KZ Boys 0 #295 2 6,578
CN Boys 0 #298 22 9,639
CZ Boys 0 #304 2 6,530
HK 0 #321 28 8,483
PE 0 #327 3 6,350
DK Girls 0 #329 1 7,429
DK Boys 0 #332 1 7,401
GH Girls 0 #335 3 6,973
GT 0 #338 1 5,948
QA Girls 0 #340 4 15,378
MU Boys 0 #341 17 8,477
MY 0 #347 8 12,352
CZ Girls 0 #350 2 5,378
NL 0 #351 41 2,481
CN Girls 0 #354 6 8,829
GH Boys 0 #355 7 8,138
PH Boys 0 #361 23 11,440
HK Boys 0 #372 161 12,905
France Boys 2021 #379 9 2,865
PH Girls 0 #379 12 13,098
JO Boys 0 #389 1 7,057
France Girls 2021 #395 11 3,185
ZA 0 #396 52 14,421
MX 0 #401 13 8,339
BO 0 #403 6 6,868
UY Boys 0 #405 9 5,922
OM Girls 0 #419 6 15,987
CL 0 #431 4 6,867
PA Boys 0 #436 46 9,305
CR Boys 0 #442 46 10,188
PA Girls 0 #468 14 9,861
PT Girls 0 #471 1 7,952
AR Boys 0 #481 3 7,628
GT Boys 0 #493 7 7,625
CO 0 #502 9 7,768
CR Girls 0 #511 22 11,342
ZA Boys 0 #512 1,022 25,619
NL Boys 0 #517 524 5,873
PS Boys 0 #519 30 10,655
RU Girls 0 #520 4 11,913
CM Girls 0 #521 20 11,671
RU Boys 0 #521 6 12,621
IQ Girls 0 #524 2 11,303
CM Boys 0 #528 23 12,054
UY Girls 0 #535 2 6,731
GT Girls 0 #539 3 7,500
PS Girls 0 #543 5 10,981
IR Girls 0 #545 1 8,334
KW Girls 0 #559 3 19,177
LY 0 #559 1 12,703
IR Boys 0 #563 3 10,162
SG Girls 0 #568 19 18,916
BO Girls 0 #572 40 9,488
IL Boys 0 #574 34 10,983
BO Boys 0 #582 11 9,244
BH 0 #585 3 17,937
HK Girls 0 #588 28 16,104
AE Girls 0 #592 6 20,968
BD Boys 0 #605 1 10,045
CL Boys 0 #625 41 13,390
IL Girls 0 #643 3 11,648
SG Boys 0 #656 42 17,960
Finland Boys 2026 #675 8 3,552
IT 0 #699 16 4,183
QA Boys 0 #740 4 18,093
United States Boys 2024 #756 137 7,044
KW Boys 0 #759 11 18,755
NG Girls 0 #765 22 15,093
SY 0 #767 1 11,684
Germany Girls 0 #776 63 4,949
United States Girls 2024 #800 117 8,487
PE Boys 0 #810 69 14,506
CL Girls 0 #816 36 14,098
NG Boys 0 #829 123 16,906
CO Boys 0 #850 71 15,656
Germany Boys 0 #852 101 5,697
NL Girls 0 #852 104 5,933
TN 0 #860 6 13,765
Spain Boys 0 #886 45 5,610
PE Girls 0 #891 53 14,861
BR Girls 0 #894 48 12,708
OM Boys 0 #913 6 17,948
SA Girls 0 #923 13 25,931
EG Boys 0 #925 1 15,035
MX Boys 0 #958 25 16,355
CO Girls 0 #960 119 16,140
Spain Girls 0 #965 19 5,561
MY Girls 0 #966 29 24,821
EG Girls 0 #1,006 4 14,742
IN Boys 0 #1,037 3 16,750
AE Boys 0 #1,065 28 22,615
MY Boys 0 #1,067 45 25,439
MX Girls 0 #1,103 81 17,781
ZA Girls 0 #1,109 33 25,928
MA 0 #1,118 11 20,986
DZ 0 #1,163 14 20,130
TR 0 #1,249 6 19,440
IT Girls 0 #1,369 78 9,415
IT Boys 0 #1,370 102 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,597 18 28,008

Sidney is popular in 73 countries — most recent births per country:

France
Canada
United States
Switzerland
Sweden

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Sidney

Sidney is a unisex name, given to both boys and girls.
Sidney is a 2 syllable name, pronounced /ˈsɪdni/ (SID-nee).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Sydney, Sydnee, Sydnie, Sidnie, Sidny and Sid (diminutive).
Across languages, Sidney has these equivalents: Sidnei (Portuguese), Denis (associated via Saint-Denis).
Yes, very popular — Sidney ranked #1 in Ireland in 2022, and appears in official birth registries across 10 countries.
Sidney ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2022).
Yes — 5 notable people named Sidney are in our database, including Sidney Poitier (Actor), Sidney Sheldon (Actor), Sidney Sonnino (Politician).
Yes — at least 2 celebrity couples have chosen Sidney for their child, including Carol McCain and John McCain.