Meaning & Origin
Artemis (Greek goddess).
Cynthia is a girl's and boy's baby name of Greek origin, derived from Kynthia, an epithet for Artemis — the Greek goddess of the moon — born on Mount Kynthos on the island of Delos. The name evokes the luminous, commanding presence of the moon goddess herself.
Cynthia peaked in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s, when it ranked consistently in the top 15 girls' names. Poets of the Elizabethan era, including Edmund Spenser, used "Cynthia" as a poetic name for Queen Elizabeth I, linking it to royalty and grace. Today it carries a warm, vintage elegance that many parents find quietly appealing.