Cynthia

{{other uses}}

{{Infobox given name

| name = Cynthia

| image = William Strang portrait Cynthia 1917.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Cynthia, a 1917 portrait by William Strang.

| pronunciation = {{IPAc-en|lang|ˈ|s|ɪ|n|θ|iː|ə}}

| gender = Female

| meaning = “From Mount Cynthus”

| region =

| origin = Greek

| related names = Cindy, Cyn, Cyndi, Cyndy, Cindi, Cinthia, Cintia, Cinta,

Cinzia, Cyndia, Cynthya, Cinny, Cinthya

}}

Cynthia is a feminine given name of Greek origin: {{lang|grc|Κυνθία}}, {{Transliteration|grc|Kynthía}}, "from Mount Cynthus" on the island of Delos. The name has been in use in the Anglosphere since the 17th century.{{cite book |last1=Hanks|first1= Patrick| last2=Hardcastle|first2=Kate |last3=Hodges| first3=Flavia| author-link= |date= 2006|title= Oxford Dictionary of First Names|url= |location= |publisher=Oxford University Press |page=66 |isbn= 0-19-861060-2}} There are various spellings for this name, and it can be abbreviated to Cindy, Cyndi, Cyndy, Cinny, or occasionally to Thea, Tia, or Thia.{{cite web|url= https://nameberry.com/babyname/cynthia |title=Cynthia|first=|last=|website=Nameberry.com}}{{cite web

| url = https://appellationmountain.net/name-of-the-day-cynthia/

| title = Name of the Day: Cynthia

| last =Sandel

| first = Abby

| date = 27 April 2009

| website = appellation.net

| publisher = Appellation Mountain(blog)

| access-date = 19 June 2022

| quote = }}

Cynthia was originally an epithet of the Greek goddess Artemis, who according to legend was born on Mount Cynthus on Delos. Selene, the Greek personification of the moon, and the Roman Diana were also sometimes called "Cynthia".Pannen, [https://books.google.com/books?id=37CPbHwqPjwC&pg=PA96 p. 96]. In Ancient Roman literature 'Cynthia' is the name of Propertius' love.

==Usage==

It has ranked among the 1,000 most used names for girls in the United States since 1880 and among the top 100 names between 1945 and 1993. It peaked in usage between 1956 and 1963, when it was among the 10 most popular names for American girls. It has since declined in use in the United States and ranked in 806th position on the popularity chart there in 2021.{{cite web |title= Popularity of a Name (United States Social Security Administration)|url= https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/index.html |website=www.ssa.gov}} It was also among the top 100 names in use for girls in Canada between 1949 and 1978,{{cite web|url= https://www.behindthename.com/name/cynthia/top/canada?type=sample |title=Behind the Name: Popularity for the Name Cynthia in Canada|first=Mike|last=Campbell|website=www.behindthename.com}} among the top 100 names in use for girls in the United Kingdom between 1934 and 1944 {{cite web|url= https://www.behindthename.com/name/cynthia/top/england-wales-historical|title=Behind the Name: Popularity for the Name Cynthia in England and Wales|first=Mike|last=Campbell|website=www.behindthename.com}} among the top 500 names in France for girls between 1970 and 2008,{{cite web|url= https://www.behindthename.com/name/cynthia/top/france|title=Behind the Name: Popularity for the Name Cynthia in France|first=Mike|last=Campbell|website=www.behindthename.com}} and among the top 500 names in Spain between 1980 and 2010.{{cite web|url= https://www.behindthename.com/name/cynthia/top/spain-decade |title=Behind the Name: Popularity for the Name Cynthia in Spain|first=Mike|last=Campbell|website=www.behindthename.com}}