Sidney is a moderately popular boys' name in England & Wales, ranking #236 in 2010 with 203 recorded births. This places Sidney in the top 4% of ranked UK boys' names for the year. Its actual usage is classified as Moderately Popular. The name reached its all-time peak in 2021 with 319 births ranking #168. Since 1996, the popularity has increased by 331.9%. In 2010, approximately 1 in every 1,706 boys born was named Sidney. STABLE Recent data shows the name is currently stable.
Sidney is an English surname name that later moved into first-name use. Its modern identity comes more from that surname history than from a single neat word meaning.
Behind the Name says it first became a given name in honour of Algernon Sidney, and later usage was shaped by other notable bearers of the surname. In the United States it also shifted across gender lines over time.