Silvia (Italian: [ˈsilvja]) is a female given name of Latin origin, with a male equivalent Silvio and English-language cognate Sylvia. The name originates from the Latin word for forest, Silva, and its meaning is "spirit of the wood"; the mythological god of the forest was associated with the figure of Silvanus. Silvia is also a surname.
In Roman mythology, Silvia is the goddess of the forest, while Rhea Silvia was the mother of Romulus and Remus. Silvia is also the name of one of the female innamorati of the commedia dell'arte and is a character of the Aminta written by Torquato Tasso.
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People with the given name
Queen Silvia of Sweden (born 1943), German-born spouse of King Carl XVI Gustaf
Saint Silvia, Italian saint of the 6th century
Silvia Abascal (born 1979), Spanish actress
Silvia Abril (born 1971), Spanish actress and comedian
Silvia Agüero (born 1985), Spanish Roma writer and activist
Silvia Airik-Priuhka (1926–2014), Estonian writer and poetry translator
Silvia Albano, Italian judge
Silvia Alonso (born 1989), Spanish actress
Silvia Ambrosio (born 1997), Italian tennis player
Silvia Araya (1930–2021), Chilean-born Canadian painter and art instructor
Silvia Arber (born 1968), Swiss neurobiologist
Silvia Arrom (born 1949), American historian
Silvia Bächli (born 1956), Swiss visual artist
Silvia Balletti (1701–1758), Italian actress
Silvia Baraldino (born 1947), Italian political activist
Silvia Barbescu (born 1961), Romanian painter
Silvia Bellot, Spanish motor racing official
Silvia Blair, Colombian scientist
Silvia Bovenschen (1946–2017), German feminist literary critic, author, and essayist
Silvia Braslavsky (born 1942), Argentinian chemist
Silvia Breher (born 1973), German politician
Silvia Calzón (born 1975), Spanish epidemiologist and politician
Silvia Cambir (1924–2007), Romanian painter
Silvia Cartwright (born 1943), New Zealand Viceroy, jurist
Silvia Cavalleri (born 1972), Italian professional golfer
Silvia Cesana (born 1999), know professionally as Sissi, Italian singer-songwriter
Silvia Ciornei (born 1970), Romanian politician
Silvia Clemente (born 1967), Spanish politician and civil servant
Silvia Carreño-Coll (born 1963), Dominican-American judge
Silvia Collatina (born 1972), Italian actress
Silvia Colloca (born 1977), Italian-Australian actress, singer, and cookbook author
Silvia Contreras (born 1993), Mexican flag football player
Silvia Corzo (born 1973), Colombian lawyer and news presenter
Silvia D'Amico (born 1986), Italian actress
Silvia de Grasse (1921–1978), Panamanian jazz and tamborera singer
Silvia Derbez (1932–2002), Mexican actress
Silvia Dionisio (born 1950), Italian actress
Silvia Disderi (born 1983), Italian professional tennis player
Silvia Dominguez (born 1987), Spanish basketball player
Silvia Eiblmayr, Austrian art historian and curator
Silvia Ferrari, Italian-American aerospace engineer
Silvia Filippini-Fantoni (born 1974), Italian US-based museum director
Silvia Fontana (born 1976), Italian figure skater
Silvia Foti (born 1961), American journalist
Silvia Fominaya (born 1975), Spanish model, actress, and presenter
Silvia Fuselli, Italian footballer
Silvia Heubach, German-American mathematician
Silvia Hroncová (born 1964), Slovak manager and publisher
Silvia Hunte (born 1938), Panamanian sprinter
Silvia Intxaurrondo (born 1979), Spanish journalist
Silvia Laidla (1927–2012), Estonian actress
Silvia Lara Povedano (born 1959), Costa Rican politician and sociologist
Silvia Levenson (born 1957), Argentine artist and activist
Silvia Lospennato (born 1977), Argentine political scientist and politician
Silvia Lulcheva (born 1969), Bulgarian actress
Sílvia Pérez Cruz (born 1983), Spanish singer
Silvia Puppo Gastélum (born 1956), Mexican politician
Silvia Madetzky (born 1962), German female discus thrower
Silvia Marcovici (born 1952), Romanian violinist
Silvia Marin (born 1967), Italian-born flamenco dancer
Silvia Mezzanotte (born 1967), Italian singer
Silvia Monti (1946–2026), Italian actress
Silvia Sorina Munteanu, Romanian singer
Silvia Navarro (born 1978), Mexican actress
Silvia Neid (born 1964), German professional football player and manager
Silvia Njirić (born 1993), Croatian tennis player
Silvia Obrist, Swiss wheelchair curler
Silvia Odio (born 1937), Cuban-American who testified at the Warren Commission investigation
Silva Oja (born 1961), Estonian heptathlete
Silvia Olari (born 1988), Italian singer
Silvia Olmedo (born 1976), Spanish psychologist, sexologist, television host, producer, and author
Silvia Paladino (born 1971), Australian singer
Silvia Peppoloni, Italian geologist, researcher, and scholar
Silvia Picozzi, Italian physicist
Silvia Pinal (1931–2024), Mexican actress
Silvia Prada (born 1969), Spanish artist
Silvia Radu (sculptor), Romanian sculptor
Silvia Reyes (1949–2024), Spanish transgender activist
Silvia Rivas (born 1957), Argentine artist
Silvia Rodgers (1928–2006), German-Jewish-British writer and political activist
Silvia Ruegger (1961–2019), Canadian long-distance runner
Silvia Saint (born 1976), Czech pornographic actress
Silvia Santelices (born 1940), Chilean actress
Silvia Sapag (born 1949), Argentine politician
Silvia Saunders (born 1990), English writer
Silvia Semenzin (born 1991), Italian author, scholar, and activist
Silvia Semeraro (born 1996), Italian karateka
Silvia Seidel (1969–2012), German actress
Silvia Solar (1936–2011), French actress
Silvia Soler (born 1961), Spanish writer and journalist
Silvia Sommer (born 1944), Austrian composer, pianist, and music producer
Silvia Stroescu (born 1985), Romanian gymnast
Silvia Stump (born 1953), Swiss alpine skier
Silvia Tcherassi (born 1965), Colombian fashion designer
Silvia Adriana Țicău (born 1970), Romanian politician
Silvia Toffanin (born 1979), Italian television presenter and former model
Silvia Torras (1936–1970), Argentine artist
Silvia Tortora (1962–2022), Italian journalist
Silvia Truu (1922–1990), Estonian children's writer
Silvia Urbina (1928–2016), Chilean singer, folklorist, and teacher
Silvia Vasquez-Lavado (born 1974), Peruvian-American explorer and mountaineer
Silvia Valdés (born 1953), Guatemalan Supreme Court judge
Silvia Valsecchi (born 1982), Italian racing cyclist
Silvia Vignolini (born 1981), Italian physicist
Silvia Vidal (born 1970), Spanish mountain climber
Silvia Weissteiner (born 1979), Italian long-distance runner
Silvia Yustos (born 1971), Spanish rhythmic gymnast and coach
Silvia Zarzu (born 1998), Romanian artistic gymnast
Silvia Zenari (1895–1956), Italian geologist and botanist
Silvia Ziche (born 1967), Italian comic book artist and writer
People with the surname
Alan Silvia, American politician from Massachusetts
Evelyn Silvia (1948–2006), American mathematician
Stephen Silvia, American academic
Tatiana Silva, professional name of Tatiana Silva Braga Tavares (1985), Belgian model and beauty pageant winner