Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Cynthia

Cynthia is a name that comes to us from the Greek word “kynthia” meaning "woman from Mount Kynthos". Cynthia was another name (a sort of surname) often used for their mythological goddess Artemis to signify her birthplace on Mount Kynthos on the Greek island of Delos. Artemis (or Cynthia) was a great deity to the Greeks. She was the daughter of Zeus and Leto (or debatably Demeter) and the twin sister of Apollo. She was venerated as the goddess of the hunt, wilderness, children and virginity (her Roman counterpart was Diana). She was often depicted holding a bow and quiver of arrows and could invigorate mortals, cure human sufferings, and protect the young. Artemis was also chaste and virginal who could never be conquered by love. In later tradition, Artemis is associated with Selene (an earlier Greek goddess of the moon). While the name dates back to the Classical Era, Cynthia was not a name used in medieval times. It was revived during the late Renaissance period (17th century).

All About the Baby Name – Cynthia

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME CYNTHIA

The number Eight personality has everything to do with power, wealth and abundance. Somehow, this personality has been blessed on the material plane, but their authoritative and problem-solving traits provide evidence that their good fortunes are not just the luck of the lottery. They are well earned. This is the personality of CEOs and high-ranking military personnel. Eights are intensely active, hard-driving individuals. Success is only meaningful to them after a job well-done.  They are remarkable in their ability to see the larger picture right down to the smallest details, and organize a strategy around success. They then have the ability to direct a group around them toward any goal, and realize individual potential to get the most out of their team.

Popularity

OF THE GIRL NAME CYNTHIA

Cynthia has enjoyed a long and illustrative career on the American female naming charts. In moderate use since the 19th century, Cynthia entered the 20th century slowly climbing the charts. By mid-century, Cynthia was becoming a fast favorite. The name first entered the Top 100 list of most commonly used girl names in 1945. Not content to stop there, Cynthia became a Top 10 choice for most of the 1950s and into the mid-60s. This was by far the height of her popularity, but she would remain on the Top 100 all the way through 1994. As we’ve entered the 21st century, Cynthia has been declining on the charts at a much faster clip. The name has now returned to the moderate levels of popularity she achieved over 100 years ago. While some consider Cynthia outdated by today’s naming styles, we find her charming and unique. Cindy as a pet form is cute and youthful (think: Cindy Crawford or Cyndi Lauper). As an ancient Greek name, Cynthia is intelligent-sounding, classical and sophisticated. This is a good choice for the contrarian parents who appreciate history and could care less about the naming trends followed by the masses. Its recent decline in popularity just makes it that much more of a unique choice today!

Quick Facts

ON CYNTHIA

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

Greek

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

3

RANKING POPULARITY:

499

PRONUNCIATION:

SIN-thee-ah

SIMPLE MEANING:

Artemis, Greek goddess of the hunt; Woman from Mount Kynthos

Characteristics

OF CYNTHIA

Authoritative

Powerful

Tough

Tenacious

Wealthy

Problem-solver

Achiever

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Cynthia

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME CYNTHIA

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME CYNTHIA

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Cynthia


Popular Songs

ON CYNTHIA

Cynthia
a song by Blue Rodeo

Cynthia Mask
a song by Robyn Hitchcock

Famous People

NAMED CYNTHIA

Cynthia Ann "Cindy" Crawford (supermodel and businesswoman)
Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper (80s pop singer)
Cynthia Nixon (actress)
Cynthia Rowley (fashion designer)
Cynthia McFadden (TV journalist)
Cynthia Rylant (writer)
Cynthia Gibb (actress)
Cynthia Rothrock (MMA actress)
Cynthia Ann "Cindy" Crawford (supermodel and businesswoman)
Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper (80s pop singer)
Cynthia Nixon (actress)
Cynthia Rowley (fashion designer)
Cynthia McFadden (TV journalist)
Cynthia Rylant (writer)
Cynthia Gibb (actress)
Cynthia Rothrock (MMA actress)
Cynthia Ann "Cindy" Crawford (supermodel and businesswoman)
Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper (80s pop singer)
Cynthia Nixon (actress)
Cynthia Rowley (fashion designer)
Cynthia McFadden (TV journalist)
Cynthia Rylant (writer)
Cynthia Gibb (actress)
Cynthia Rothrock (MMA actress)

Children of Famous People

NAMED CYNTHIA

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Cynthia

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME CYNTHIA

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Cynthia