Cyd
A diminutive of Cydia, Cyd is a feminine name of Greek origin meaning "glory".
Name Census estimates that about 420 living Americans carry the first name Cyd. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Cyd today is around 65 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cyd births was 1954 (45 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cyd. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Cyd is about 65 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Cyds were born before 1971.
People living today
420
~ 1 in 816,082 Americans
Peak year
1954
45 babies that year
Average age
65
years old
1977 SSA rank
#9,929
Tracked since 1947
Popularity
Cyd: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Cyd from the 1940s through to the 1970s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 256 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Cyd by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Cyd during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Cyds live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. California, Illinois, Texas recorded the most babies named Cyd, while Michigan, New York, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 8 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Cyd
The name Cyd is derived from the Welsh language and has its roots in ancient Celtic culture. In Welsh, the name Cyd is a shortened form of the name Cedwyn, which means "blessed battle" or "blessed warrior." This suggests that the name may have been bestowed upon warriors or those born during times of conflict.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cyd can be found in the Mabinogion, a collection of ancient Welsh tales and mythology dating back to the 12th century. The name appears in the tale of "Culhwch and Olwen," where Cyd is mentioned as a warrior accompanying the protagonist on his quest.
Throughout history, the name Cyd has been associated with various notable figures. One of the earliest was Cyd ap Bleddyn (c. 1060-1115), a Welsh prince and military leader who played a significant role in the conflicts between the Welsh and Norman invaders in the 11th century.
Another notable bearer of the name was Cyd Prydderch (c. 1470-1550), a Welsh poet and bard who lived during the Tudor period. His works were highly regarded and contributed to the preservation of Welsh language and culture during a time of English dominance.
In the 19th century, Cyd Lewis (1813-1892) was a Welsh minister and author who played a prominent role in the Methodist revival movement in Wales. His writings and sermons had a profound impact on the religious and cultural landscape of the time.
The name Cyd also appears in the literary world with Cyd Godebog (1851-1921), a Welsh novelist and short story writer known for her vivid depictions of rural Welsh life and her contributions to the Welsh literary Renaissance of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
More recently, Cyd Hayman (1900-1976) was a Welsh artist and sculptor known for her works depicting Welsh culture, mythology, and landscape. Her sculptures can be found in various public spaces and galleries throughout Wales and beyond.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the name Cyd throughout history, reflecting its rich cultural heritage and enduring presence across various fields and eras.
People
Cyd + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cyd as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Cyd: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cyd?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 420 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cyd going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 816,082 US residents.
Is Cyd a common name?
We classify Cyd as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 556 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cyd most popular?
The single biggest year for Cyd was 1954, when 45 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cyd is about 65 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Cyd a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Cyd in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.