| Cynthia | Chloe | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Moon goddess epithet | Green shoot; blooming |
| Origin | greek | greek |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | SIN-thee-ah | KLOH-ee |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| First appeared | 0 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1957 (39,340) | 2009 (11,922) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 6,203 |
| Trend | Vintage | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Cynthia | Chloe |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 1,855 | 37,588 |
| 2010s | 5,946 | 85,316 |
| 2000s | 15,172 | 96,503 |
| 1990s | 31,313 | 25,858 |
| 1980s | 41,666 | 3,605 |
| 1970s | 80,196 | 645 |
| 1960s | 196,597 | 204 |
| 1950s | 263,432 | 296 |
| 1940s | 58,061 | 543 |
| 1930s | 9,666 | 778 |
| 1920s | 3,661 | 746 |
| 1910s | 1,911 | 850 |
| 1900s | 694 | 478 |
| 1890s | 701 | 622 |
| 1880s | 582 | 357 |
Cynthia is from Greek Kynthia, an epithet of Artemis meaning 'from Mount Cynthus,' her birthplace on Delos. The moon association comes because Artemis (and Selene) were called Cynthia; it is cultural, not a literal 'moon' etymology.
From Greek 'chloe' (Χλόη) meaning 'green shoot, young growth of a plant'. It was an epithet of the harvest goddess Demeter marking the fresh green of spring.
Chloe is more popular than Cynthia today: about 6,203 US babies were given the name Chloe in 2025, compared with 0 named Cynthia.
Cynthia means Moon goddess epithet (greek origin), while Chloe means Green shoot; blooming (greek origin).
In US records, Cynthia first appears in 0 and Chloe in 1880, so Cynthia has the longer recorded history.