Cynthia is a feminine

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a ...

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

origin: , , "from Mount

Cynthus Mount Cynthus (, ''Kýnthos'') is located on the isle of Delos, part of the Greek Cyclades. Mythology In Greek mythology, Leto gave birth to Apollo and Artemis on this island, having been shunned by Zeus' wife Hera who was extremely jealou ...

" on

Delos The island of Delos (; el, Δήλος ; Attic: , Doric: ), near Mykonos, near the centre of the Cyclades archipelago, is one of the most important mythological, historical, and archaeological sites in Greece. The excavations in the island ar ...

island. The name has been in use in the

Anglosphere The Anglosphere is a group of English-speaking nations that share historical and cultural ties with England, and which today maintain close political, diplomatic and military co-operation. While the nations included in different sources vary, t ...

since the 1600s. There are various spellings for this name, and it can be abbreviated to Cindy, Cyndi, Cyndy, or occasionally to Thea or Thia. Cynthia was originally an

epithet An epithet (, ), also byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) known for accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, di ...

of the Greek goddess

Artemis In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Artemis (; grc-gre, Ἄρτεμις) is the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity. She was heavily identified with ...

, who according to legend was born on Mount Cynthus.

Selene In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Selene (; grc-gre, Σελήνη , meaning "Moon"''A Greek–English Lexicon's.v. σελήνη) is the goddess and the personification of the Moon. Also known as Mene, she is traditionally the daughter of ...

, the Greek personification of the moon, and the Roman Diana were also sometimes called "Cynthia".

Usage

It has ranked among the 1,000 most used names for girls in the United States since 1880 and among the top 100 names between 1945 and 1993. It peaked in usage between 1956 and 1963, when it was among the 10 most popular names for American girls. It has since declined in use in the United States and ranked in 806th position on the popularity chart there in 2021. It was also among the top 100 names in use for girls in Canada between 1949 and 1978, among the top 100 names in use for girls in the United Kingdom between 1934 and 1944 among the top 500 names in France for girls between 1970 and 2008, and among the top 500 names in Spain between 1980 and 2010.

People

Cynthia Bailey Cynthia Denise Bailey (born February 19, 1967) is an American model, reality television personality, and actress. Born and raised in Alabama, she moved to New York City at the age of 18 to pursue a modeling career. There, she signed a five-year ...

(born 1967), American model, actress, and TV personality *Cynthia or

Cindy Bishop Cynthia Carmen Burbridge-Bishop ( th, ซินเธีย คาร์เมน เบอร์บริดจ์-บิชอพ; born December 30, 1978) or Sirinya Burbridge ( th, สิรินยา เบอร์บริดจ์), is ...

(born 1978), Thai model, actress, TV personality, and entrepreneur *Cynthia or

Cindy Bremser Cynthia ("Cindy") Mae Bremser–Whitmore (born May 5, 1953, in Milwaukee) is a retired middle distance runner from the United States. She finished fourth in the 3,000 metres at the 1984 Summer Olympics. She won the silver medal in the 1,500 metre ...

(born 1953), American runner *

Cynthia Clark Cynthia Zang Facer Clark (born April 1, 1942) is an American statistician known for her work improving the quality of data in the Federal Statistical System of the United States, and especially in the National Agricultural Statistics Service. ...

(born 1942), American statistician * Cynthia Coffman (born 1962), American murderer *

Cintia Dicker Cintia Schneider Dick (born 6 December 1986), known as Cintia Dicker, is a Brazilian model and actress. Career She has appeared in advertisements for Ann Taylor, Macy's, L'Oréal, American Eagle Outfitters, Tom Ford, Wildfox Couture, and Y ...

(born 1986), Brazilian model *

Cynthia Dobrinski Cynthia Dobrinski (1950 – October 12, 2021) was an American composer and arranger of handbell music. She has more than 175 works in print. She also worked as an instructor and conducted about 350 handbell workshops and festivals internationall ...

(born 1950), handbell composer * Cynthia Joan Gastelle (1961–1980), formerly unidentified American murder victim * Cynthia Germanotta (born 1954), American philanthropist *

Cynthia Gibb Cynthia Gibb (born December 14, 1963) is an American actress and former model who has starred in film and on television. She began her career as a cast member on the musical television drama '' Fame'', based on the movie of the same name. She ...

(born 1963), American actress *

Cynthia Glassman Dr. Cynthia Aaron Glassman of Alexandria, Virginia was a commissioner of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as well as the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs. She served as acting chair from July 1, 2005 to August 3, 2005. She ...

, American economist *

Cynthia Gregory Cynthia Kathleen Gregory (born July 8, 1946) is an American former prima ballerina. Career Born in Los Angeles, Gregory took up dancing when she was five, with the encouragement of her parents, who hoped exercise would stem her history of childho ...

(born 1946), American ballet dancer *Cynthia or

Cindy Greiner Cynthia Greiner (née Suggs, born February 15, 1957, in San Diego, California) is a retired female heptathlete and long jumper from the United States, who won the gold medal at the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis, United States. She is a ...

(born 1957), American heptathlete and long jumper *

Cynthia Harvey Cynthia Harvey (born May 17, 1957) is an American former ballet dancer, ballet mistress and educator. She joined the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) in 1974 and was promoted to principal dancer in 1982. In 1986, she joined The Royal Ballet, beco ...

, American ballet dancer and educator *

Cynthia Herrup Cynthia Herrup is an American historian of early modern British law who holds the position of Professor of History and Law at the University of Southern California. Herrup's writings center primarily on the social history of criminal law, but s ...

, American law historian *

Cynthia Hotton Cynthia Hotton (born 17 January 1969) is an Argentine politician, former National Deputy and candidate for Vice President. Early life Cynthia Hotton was born on 17 January 1969 in Buenos Aires to Arturo Hotton Risler, whose parents had emigrat ...

(born 1969), Argentine politician *

Cynthia Kenyon Cynthia Jane Kenyon (born February 21, 1954) is an American molecular biologist and biogerontologist known for her genetic dissection of aging in a widely used model organism, the roundworm ''Caenorhabditis elegans''. She is the vice president of ...

, American molecular biologist *

Cynthia Tse Kimberlin Cynthia Tse Kimberlin (born Cynthia Mei-Ling Tse in Ganado, Arizona, United States; Chinese name: 謝美玲; pinyin: Xiè Měilíng; Cantonese: Tse6 Mei5ling4) is an American ethnomusicologist. She is the executive director and publisher of ...

, American ethnomusicologist *

Cynthia Klitbo Cynthia Klitbo (; born March 11, 1967) is a Mexican actress of telenovelas, theater and Mexican cinema. She is best known for her roles as Laura in Televisa's telenovela La Dueña (Mexico) (1995), as Tamara de Duval in Televisa's telenovela El ...

(born 1967), Mexican actress *

Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...

(born 1953), American musician and LGBT rights activist *

Cynthia Ling Lee Cynthia Ling Lee is an American dancer, choreographer, and scholar. She performs in contemporary, postmodern, and classical Indian dance techniques. Her research focuses on queer and postcolonial experiences in Asian diasporic performance. Biogra ...

, American dancer and choreographer *

Cynthia Lennon Cynthia Lennon (born Powell; 10 September 1939 – 1 April 2015) was the first wife of John Lennon and the mother of Julian Lennon. Born in Blackpool and raised in Hoylake on the Wirral Peninsula, she attended the Liverpool College of Art wher ...

(1939–2015), first wife of musician John Lennon *

Cynthia McKinney Cynthia Ann McKinney (born March 17, 1955) is an American politician, academic, and conspiracy theorist. As a member of the Democratic Party, she served six terms in the United States House of Representatives. She was the first African American ...

(born 1955), American politician *Cynthia, Christian name of

Saori Minami (Real Name: Akemi Shinoyama (篠山明美), née, Akemi Uchima (内間明美); Christian Name: Cynthia) is a Japanese retired J-pop singer-songwriter. She was born in Okinawa on July 2, 1954. In the 1970s, and for a brief 6 years from 19911997 ...

(born 1954), Japanese singer * Lady Cynthia Mosley (1898–1933), British politician * Cynthia Nilson, Argentinian singer and songwriter *

Cynthia Nixon Cynthia Ellen Nixon (born April 9, 1966) is an American actress, activist, and theater director. For her portrayal of Miranda Hobbes in the HBO series ''Sex and the City'' (1998–2004), she won the 2004 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supp ...

(born 1966), American actress *

Cynthia Olavarría Cynthia Enid Olavarría Rivera (born January 28, 1982 in Santurce) is a Puerto Rican actress, fashion model, TV host and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss Puerto Rico Universe 2005 and placed 1st Runner-Up at Miss Universe 2005. Biogr ...

(born 1982), Puerto Rican model *

Cynthia Ortega Cynthia Apolonia Ortega-Martijn (born 9 February 1956 in Willemstad, Curaçao) is a former Netherlands, Dutch politician. As a member of the ChristianUnion (ChristenUnie) she was an MP from November 30, 2006, to September 19, 2012. She focused ...

(born 1956), Dutch politician *

Cynthia Ozick Cynthia Ozick (born April 17, 1928) is an American short story writer, novelist, and essayist. Biography Cynthia Ozick was born in New York City, the second of two children. She moved to the Bronx with her Belarusian-Jewish parents from Hlusk, ...

(born 1928), American writer *

Cynthia Richards Cynthia Richards (born Sinthia Richards, 1944) is a Jamaican singer whose career began in the 1960s. Biography Born in Duhaney Park, Kingston, Jamaica, in 1944, Richards attended the Denham Town Primary School where after impressing teachers wi ...

(born 1944), Jamaican singer * Cynthia Dawn Ritchie, an American origin, socialite and blogger involved in Pakistani affairs * Cynthia Deyanira Rodríguez Ruiz (born 1984), Mexican reality TV personality *

Cynthia Rothrock Cynthia is a feminine given name of Greek origin: , , "from Mount Cynthus" on Delos island. The name has been in use in the Anglosphere since the 1600s. There are various spellings for this name, and it can be abbreviated to Cindy, Cyndi, Cynd ...

(born 1957), American martial artist and actress *

Cynthia Rowley Cynthia Rowley (born July 29, 1958) is an American fashion designer based in the Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Early life and education Rowley is a native of Barrington, Illinois a northwestern suburb of Chicago. She is one of three ...

, American fashion designer *

Cynthia Rudin Cynthia Diane Rudin (born 1976) is an American computer scientist and statistician specializing in machine learning and known for her work in interpretable machine learning. She is the director of the Interpretable Machine Learning Lab at Duke ...

(born 1976), American computer scientist and statistician *

Cynthia Ryder Cynthia Louise "Cindy" Ryder (born August 12, 1966) is an American Olympic athlete who won the gold medal in women's single sculls rowing event at the 1991 Pan American Games and participated in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona Barcelona ( ...

(born 1966), American rower * Cynthia Morgan St. John (1852-1919), American Wordsworthian, book collector, and author *

Amy Elizabeth Thorpe Amy Elizabeth Thorpe, also known as Betty Pack, Betty Thorpe, Elizabeth Pack, and Amy Brousse; (November 22, 1910 – December 1, 1963) was an American spy, codenamed Cynthia, who worked for British Security Coordination (BSC) which was set up in ...

(1910–1963), an American spy codenamed "Cynthia" * Cynthia (Torres), American freestyle singer * Cynthia Valdez (born 1987), Mexican rhythmic gymnast *

Cynthia Villar Cynthia Aguilar Villar (, born Cynthia Ampaya Aguilar on July 29, 1950) is a Filipina politician currently serving as a Senator of the Philippines. She was a member of the House of Representatives for the Lone District of Las Piñas from 2001 t ...

(born 1950), Filipino politician *

Cynthia Watros Cynthia Michele Watros (born September 2, 1968) is an American actress recognized for her roles in both daytime and primetime television. In 1994, she was cast in the regular role of Annie Dutton on ''Guiding Light'', which earned her the Day ...

(born 1968), American actress *

Cynthia Weil Cynthia Weil (born October 18, 1940) is an American songwriter who wrote many songs together with her husband Barry Mann. Life and career Weil was born in New York City, and was raised in a Conservative Jewish family. Her father was Morris Weil ...

(born 1940), American songwriter *Cynthia Wesley (1949-1963), a victim of the 1963

16th Street Baptist Church bombing The 16th Street Baptist Church bombing was a white supremacist terrorist bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, on Sunday, September 15, 1963. Four members of a local Ku Klux Klan chapter planted 19 sticks of dynami ...

Cynthia Woodhead Cynthia Lee Woodhead (born February 7, 1964), commonly known by her family nickname "Sippy", is an American former competition swimmer, world champion, Olympic medalist, and former world record-holder. She won three gold medals at the 1978 Worl ...

(born 1964), American athlete

Fictional characters

* ''Cynthia, with certain Sonnets, and the legend of Cassandra'', panegyric by

Richard Barnfield Richard Barnfield (baptized 29 June 1574 – 1620) was an English poet. His obscure though close relationship with William Shakespeare has long made him interesting to scholars. It has been suggested that he was the "rival poet" mentioned in ...

(1574–1620) * ''

Cynthia’s Revels ''Cynthia's Revels, or The Fountain of Self-Love'' is a late English literature#Elizabethan era, Elizabethan stage play, a satire written by Ben Jonson. The play was one element in the ''Poetomachia'' or War of the Theatres between Jonson and ri ...

'', play by

Ben Jonson Benjamin "Ben" Jonson (c. 11 June 1572 – c. 16 August 1637) was an English playwright and poet. Jonson's artistry exerted a lasting influence upon English poetry and stage comedy. He popularised the comedy of humours; he is best known for t ...

(1572–1637) * Cynthia, Angelica's doll on the cartoon ''

Rugrats ''Rugrats'' is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain for Nickelodeon. The show focuses on a group of toddlers; most prominently— Tommy, Chuckie, Angelica, and twins Phil and Lil, a ...

'' * Sinthia Schmidt, a.k.a. Sin (Marvel Comics), comic book supervillainess * Cynthia, a plaster mannequin of the 1930s created by Lester Gaba. * Cynthia, a diclonius and one of four clones of Mariko in the manga "

Elfen Lied is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Lynn Okamoto. It was originally serialized in Shueisha's '' Weekly Young Jump'' from June 2002 to August 2005, with the 107 chapters collected into twelve ''tankōbon'' volumes. ''Elfen ...

" * Cynthia, the champion of the Sinnoh region in the ''

Pokémon (an abbreviation for in Japan) is a Japanese media franchise managed by The Pokémon Company, founded by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures, the owners of the trademark and copyright of the franchise. In terms of what each of thos ...

'' video games. * Cynthia, a character in ''

Fire Emblem Awakening ''Fire Emblem Awakening'' is a tactical role-playing game developed by Intelligent Systems and Nintendo SPD and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. It was released in April 2012 in Japan and 2013 internationally. It is the thirteenth ...

'' * Cynthia Lamonde, a major character in the book "Praise" by Andrew McGahan * Cynthia Mitchell, antagonist in '' Lucky Stiff'' played by Donna Dixon * Cynthia, a central character in the poetry of

Propertius Sextus Propertius was a Latin elegiac poet of the Augustan age. He was born around 50–45 BC in Assisium and died shortly after 15 BC. Propertius' surviving work comprises four books of '' Elegies'' ('). He was a friend of the poets Gallu ...

* Cynthia Kirkpatrick, a character in ''

Wives and Daughters ''Wives and Daughters, An Every-Day Story'' is a novel by Elizabeth Gaskell, first published in the ''Cornhill Magazine'' as a serial from August 1864 to January 1866. It was partly written whilst Gaskell was staying with the salon hostess M ...

'' by Elizabeth Gaskell

Notes

References

* Pannen, Imke, ''When the Bad Bleeds: Mantic Elements in English Renaissance Revenge Tragedy''. Volume 3 of Representations & Reflections; V&R unipress GmbH, 2010. {{given name Feminine given names English feminine given names Arabic feminine given names Spanish feminine given names Dutch feminine given names Epithets of Artemis Portuguese feminine given names ja:シンシア pt:Cynthia sl:Hijacinta

Usage

People

Fictional characters

See also

Notes

References