Sylvia comes from the Latin silva, meaning "forest" or "wood." Rhea Silvia was the legendary mother of Romulus and Remus, founders of Rome. The name has been in continuous use since antiquity.
Sylvia peaked in the U.S. at #65 in 1937 and faded gradually. The poet Sylvia Plath (1932-1963), one of the most celebrated American poets of the 20th century, gave the name its modern literary weight. Today Sylvia sits in the U.S. top 700 and is rising as part of the vintage revival.
Sylvia reduces to four — the number of rooted depth.