Cythia

Meaning & origin

Cythia first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1951, a decade before its peak year of 1961, when it was most frequently given to baby girls. Since then, its usage has remained rare, with a trajectory that is essentially stable at very low numbers. Cythia is a spelling variation of Cynthia, a name that experienced widespread popularity in the mid-20th century. While Cythia never ranked among the top 1000 names, it represents a creative respelling that emerged during a period when Cynthia was a common choice for girls. The name's association with the Greek myth of Artemis gives it a subtle classical background, but its modern spelling makes it a distinct choice.

Cythia is a modern respelling of Cynthia, a name that derives from the Greek Kynthia, an epithet of the goddess Artemis, who was born on Mount Kynthos on the island of Delos. The name Cynthia was first recorded in English in the 17th century and gained popularity in the mid-20th century. Cythia appears to be a 20th-century variant, possibly influenced by the popularity of the name Cynthia in the 1950s and 1960s.