Sidney
2 syllables
⚧ Unisex ◎ English / French ◈ 2 syllables
"From A Large Island"

From English / French

Sidney means wide meadow — from the Old English sīd (wide) and ēg (island/meadow). Sidney Poitier was the first Black man to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. Sidney Crosby is hockey's greatest active player. Scream's Sidney Prescott is horror's ultimate final girl. Two syllables of wide-meadow openness carrying Oscar history, Stanley Cup glory, and the ability to survive anything.

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Sidney at a glance
MeaningFrom A Large Island
OriginEnglish / French
GenderUnisex
Syllables2
NumerologyLife Path 4
US Rank (today)#1185
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Why parents love Sidney
  • Sidney Poitier broke Hollywood's colour barrier — first Black Best Actor Oscar.
  • Sidney Crosby is hockey's greatest active player.
  • Scream's Sidney Prescott is the ultimate final girl.
  • Two syllables with a clean, open sound: SID-nee.
  • It works for any gender — proven for decades.
The vibe of Sidney
PoitierOscarCrosbyScreamwide-meadowfinal girlbarrier-breakinghockey
Origin & history of Sidney
Old English sīd (wide) + ēg (island/meadow) English Sidney
1
English / French roots
Sidney comes from the Old English meaning wide meadow or wide island. Sidney Poitier (1927–2022) was the first Black man to win the Best Actor Academy Award — one of the most important moments in Hollywood history. Sidney Crosby is widely considered the greatest active hockey player. Scream's Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) is the ultimate final girl.
2
First recorded
Earliest known use: Medieval as a place name; Sidney Poitier (1927–2022).
3
Today
Sidney remains a beloved choice, ranking #1185 in the US. 108,736 babies have been named Sidney since 1880.
◈ Sources: Behind the Name, Oxford Dictionary of First Names, SSA data
How popular is Sidney?
1918 peak year
The name Sidney reached its peak in 1918, with 1,879 registrations (ranked #94). It first surfaced in U.S. records in 1880, roughly 38 years before its peak. Since the peak, the name has eased to well outside the top 1,000 (around #1185) today, averaging about 352 new babies per year. Sidney has been declining in recent years. Across all years on record, approximately 108,736 American babies have carried this name.
Year-by-year registrations 1880–2024 · U.S. Social Security data
1,879 Babies named in peak year
(ranked #94)
352 Avg. per year
(last decade)
3,520 Total registrations
last 10 years
108,736 All-time total
(since 1880)
Popularity in the US today (rank #1,185) Moderate
↓ Declining in recent years
📊 Check all names registered in the United States →
Numerology of Sidney
4
Life path number
The Builder
Discipline, reliability and masterful building.

Sidney's Life Path 8 is the achiever's number — barrier-breaking achievement. People named Sidney tend to be pioneering, resilient, and gifted at surviving what others cannot.

Breaks every barrier
Survives everything
Wide-meadow openness
Pioneering achievement
Final-girl resilience
S1
I9
D4
N5
E5
Y7
Sum: 31 → Life path 4
Personality of Sidney
🏛️
Steady & reliable
When they make a promise, they keep it.
📐
Methodical
Thorough, careful, precise.
💪
Quietly powerful
Their strength is always there when it matters.
🌿
Grounded
No matter what swirls around them, they stay centred.
Names that sound like Sidney

If you love Sidney, you might love these names with a similar sound, rhythm or feel.

Names that combine with Sidney

Sibling pairings that share the timeless, classic energy of Sidney.

Middle names for Sidney

The right middle name turns Sidney into a complete story. Explore options for first-and-middle pairings, then last-name flow.

Want a personalised middle name for Sidney? Try our dedicated generator with 1,000+ pairings.

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Numerology life path calculator

Enter any full name and date of birth to discover the life path number — a core numerological indicator of personality, purpose and destiny.

First name
Middle name (optional)
Last name
Date of birth
7
Life path number

How we calculated this
Sidney is a beautiful choice.
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