Sybil as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Sybil

What is the meaning of the name Sybil ?

The baby name Sybil is a girl name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced SIB-il.

Sybil is Greek in Origin.

Sybil is an English spelling of Greek Σίβυλλα, transliterated Sibylla, the classical word for a female seer who uttered prophecies under divine inspiration. Its deeper etymology is uncertain, despite ancient attempts to explain it from Greek divine counsel. Latinate Sibilla and Sibylla kept the final feminine vowel, while English usage later favored the clipped forms Sibyl and Sybil.

The name entered Christian naming in the Middle Ages because several pagan sibyls, especially in late antique and medieval interpretation, were credited with foretelling aspects of Christ’s coming. English records show forms such as Sibilla and Sibilia by the fourteenth century. French Sibylle, German Sybille, and Italian Sibilla preserve fuller continental forms. Literary use includes Benjamin Disraeli’s Sybil, Oscar Wilde’s Sibyl Vane, and modern appearances in Downton Abbey and the Harry Potter books.