Sybille
A feminine French name derived from the Greek sibylla, meaning prophetess or oracle.
Name Census estimates that about 8 living Americans carry the first name Sybille. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Sybille today is around 70 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sybille births was 1958 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sybille. 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 Sybille is about 70 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Sybilles were born before 1966.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Sybille. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
8
~ 1 in 42,844,292 Americans
Peak year
1958
6 babies that year
Average age
70
years old
1962 SSA rank
#7,451
Tracked since 1958
Popularity
Sybille: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sybille from the 1950s through to the 1960s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 6 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sybille 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 Sybille during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Sybille
The name Sybille originated from the Greek word "Sibylla", which means "prophetess" or "seer". It has its roots in ancient Greek mythology, where the Sibyls were a group of women believed to possess prophetic powers and the ability to interpret the will of the gods.
The name gained popularity during the Roman era, when the Sibylline Books, a collection of prophecies attributed to these oracular women, were highly revered and consulted during times of crisis or important decision-making. The cult of the Sibyls spread throughout the ancient Mediterranean world, and their influence extended to various cultures and belief systems.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Sybille can be found in the writings of the ancient Roman historian Livy, who mentions a Sibyl named Amalthea in his work "Ab Urbe Condita" (History of Rome). This Sibyl was believed to have lived in the 6th century BC and was said to have offered the Sibylline Books to the Roman king Tarquinius Superbus.
Throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance period, the name Sybille continued to be associated with mysticism and divination. It was often given to women believed to possess psychic abilities or those who practiced forms of occult arts.
One of the most notable figures bearing the name Sybille was Sybille of Cleves (1512-1554), a German princess and the third wife of John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony. She played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation and was known for her intelligence and influence in court affairs.
Another prominent Sybille was Sybille of Saxe-Lauenburg (1675-1733), a German noblewoman and the second wife of Christian V, King of Denmark and Norway. She was known for her involvement in court intrigues and her support for the arts and sciences.
In the 19th century, Sybille Mertens-Schaffhausen (1797-1857) was a German writer and pioneer of the women's movement. She advocated for the education and emancipation of women and was a prominent figure in the early feminist movement.
The name Sybille also found its way into literature, with Sybille Peyrol being a character in the novel "The Vocation" by French author André Gide (1869-1951). This fictional Sybille was portrayed as a mystic and spiritual guide, reflecting the name's association with divination and prophetic abilities.
Throughout history, the name Sybille has carried a sense of mystery, prophecy, and mysticism, reflecting its origins in ancient Greek mythology and the revered status of the Sibyls in various cultures.
People
Sybille + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sybille as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Sybille: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sybille?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 8 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sybille 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 42,844,292 US residents.
Is Sybille a common name?
We classify Sybille as "Very Rare". It ranks above 24.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sybille most popular?
The single biggest year for Sybille was 1958, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sybille is about 70 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Sybille a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sybille 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.