Sidney is a moderately popular boys' name in England & Wales, ranking #199 in 2023 with 248 recorded births. The name reached its all-time peak in 2021 with 319 births ranking #168. Since 1996, the popularity has increased by 427.7%. In 2023, approximately 1 in every 1,116 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.