Syr
A masculine name of Arabic origin meaning "journey".
Name Census estimates that about 15 living Americans carry the first name Syr. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Syr today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Syr births was 2010 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Syr. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Syr. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
15
~ 1 in 22,850,289 Americans
Peak year
2010
5 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2022 SSA rank
#14,067
Tracked since 2010
Popularity
Syr: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Syr from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 10 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Syr remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Syr 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 Syr 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 Syr
The given name Syr has its linguistic origins rooted in ancient Sumerian and Akkadian cultures, dating back to the 3rd millennium BCE. It is believed to be derived from the Sumerian word "sir," meaning "leader" or "chief," as well as the Akkadian word "šarru," which translates to "king" or "ruler." This name was commonly used among the ruling class and nobility of these ancient civilizations in Mesopotamia.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Syr can be found in the cuneiform inscriptions of the Sumerian city-state of Uruk, where it was borne by a prominent ruler known as Syr-kali, who reigned around 2400 BCE. This ruler was renowned for his military campaigns and the expansion of Uruk's territorial boundaries.
In later centuries, the name Syr appears in various ancient texts and historical records from the region, including the Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the earliest surviving works of literature. Here, the character of Syr-Ishtar is depicted as a wise and influential figure in the court of King Gilgamesh.
During the Neo-Assyrian Empire (934-609 BCE), the name Syr was particularly popular among the ruling class. One notable figure was Syr-Ashur-ilikunni, a powerful governor who ruled over the city of Arrapha in the 8th century BCE. His name, which translates to "Syr, servant of the god Ashur," reflects the religious significance of the name during this period.
In the realm of ancient Greek mythology, the name Syr is associated with the figure of Syrinx, a nymph who was pursued by the god Pan. According to the legend, she was transformed into a reed by the river gods to escape Pan's advances, and Pan then fashioned the first set of pan pipes from the reeds, which he named "Syrinx" in her honor.
Another historical figure bearing the name Syr was Syr-Darya, a powerful ruler of the Sogdian kingdom in Central Asia during the 6th century CE. He was renowned for his military prowess and played a crucial role in the regional power dynamics of the time.
Throughout the centuries, the name Syr has been carried by various individuals across different cultures and regions, although its usage has been relatively rare compared to other names. It continues to hold significance as a reminder of the rich cultural heritage and historical legacy of the ancient Near East.
People
Syr + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Syr 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
Syr: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Syr?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 15 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Syr 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 22,850,289 US residents.
Is Syr a common name?
We classify Syr as "Very Rare". It ranks above 35.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 15 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Syr most popular?
The single biggest year for Syr was 2010, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Syr is about 9 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Syr in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Syr a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Syr in the SSA data are male. 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.
Is Syr still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Syr in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Syr can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Syr?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.