Sidney (often shortened to Sid) is an English given name deriving from the surname, itself of two different derivations depending on the origins of the family. In some cases a place name, itself from Old English, meaning "wide water meadow", and in others from the French place name "St. Denis".[1]

Sidney became widely used as a given name in English-speaking countries during the 19th century. It was popularised in the United States after the American Revolution due to admiration for the English politician Algernon Sidney as a martyr to royal tyranny;[2] since its peak in the 1910s its usage has declined steadily. From the early 1990s to the 2000s, the name Sidney has become a fashionable name given to girls. Sydney is also a spelling variant of the name whatever the gender; other variants include Cydney and Cidney for a girl.

People

Notable people with the given name include:

Fictional characters

See also

References

  1. ↑ Wordsworth Dictionary of First Names, Iseabail MacLeod and Terry Freedman, Wordsworth Editions Ltd, 1995, p. 208
  2. ↑ Karsten, Peter (1978) Patriot heroes in England and America: Political symbolism and changing values over three centuries University of Wisconsin Press, Madison ISBN 0-299-07500-1
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