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". 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 The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolu ...

due to admiration for the English politician

Algernon Sidney Algernon Sidney or Sydney (15 January 1623 – 7 December 1683) was an English politician, republican political theorist and colonel. A member of the middle part of the Long Parliament and commissioner of the trial of King Charles I of England ...

as a martyr to royal tyranny;Karsten, Peter (1978) ''Patriot heroes in England and America: Political symbolism and changing values over three centuries'' University of Wisconsin Press, Madison since its peak in the 1910s it has declined steadily. ''Sydney'' is also a spelling variant of the name, whatever the gender, including ''Cydney'' and ''Cidney'' for a girl. Also, from the early 1990s and 2000s the name ''Sidney'' was itself a fashionable name given to girls.

People

Notable people with the given name include: *

Sidney Abrahams Sir Sidney Solomon Abrahams (11 February 1885 – 14 May 1957), nicknamed Solly, was a British Olympic athlete and 26th Chief Justice of Ceylon (Sri Lanka). He was the older brother of famed Olympian Harold Abrahams. Early life Born in Bir ...

(1885–1957), British long jumper *

Sidney Barthelemy Sidney John Barthelemy (born March 17, 1942) is a former American political figure. The second African American to hold the New Orleans mayoral chair, he was a member of the Louisiana State Senate from 1974 to 1978 and a member at-large of the N ...

(born 1942), American politician *

Sidney Bechet Sidney Bechet (May 14, 1897 – May 14, 1959) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. He was one of the first important Solo (music), soloists in jazz, and first recorded several months before trumpeter Louis Armstrong. His ...

(1897–1959), American jazz saxophonist * Sidney Beckerman (disambiguation), several people * Sidney Bernstein (disambiguation), several people *

Sid Caesar Isaac Sidney Caesar (September 8, 1922 – February 12, 2014) was an American comic actor, comedian and writer. With a career spanning 60 years, he was best known for two pioneering 1950s live television series: ''Your Show of Shows'' (1950� ...

(1922–2014), actor and comedian *

Sidney Carroll Sidney Carroll (May 25, 1913 – November 3, 1988) was an American film and television screenwriter. Although Carroll wrote most frequently for television, he is perhaps best remembered today for writing the screenplays for ''The Hustler'' (1961) ...

(1913–1988), American film and television scriptwriter *

Sidney Robertson Cowell Sidney Robertson Cowell (born Sidney William Hawkins; June 2, 1903 – February 23, 1995) was an American ethnomusicologist, collector of folk songs, and the wife of the composer Henry Cowell. Life and career She was born on June 2, 1903, ...

(1903-1995), American ethnomusicologist *

Sidney Crosby Sidney Patrick Crosby (born August 7, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "Sid the Kid" and dubbed "The Next One", he was selected first o ...

(born 1987), Canadian ice hockey player *

Sidney Cooke Sidney Charles Cooke (born 18 April 1927) is an English convicted child molester and suspected serial killer serving two life sentences. He was the leader of a paedophile ring suspected of murdering up to twenty young boys in the 1970s and 1980s. ...

(born 1927)

Serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...

and leader of the "Dirty Dozen" *

Sidney Duteil Sidney Duteil (born Patrick Duteil in 1955), better known as Sidney, is a French musician, rapper, DJ, television and radio host, and occasional actor of Guadeloupean origin. Duteil was born in Argenteuil, Val-d'Oise. He is well known in Franc ...

(born 1955), French musician and television and radio host *

Sidney Easton Sidney Easton (October 2, 1885December 24, 1971) was an African-American actor, stage performer, playwright, composer, vocalist, and pianist. He worked as a performer in minstrel shows, carnivals, burlesque, and vaudeville. Starting in the 1930s ...

(1885–1971), American actor, playwright and composer *

Sid Eudy Sidney Raymond Eudy (born December 16, 1960) is an American former professional wrestler. He is best known for his various Sid gimmicks, each distinguished by the ring names Sid Justice, Sid Vicious, and Sycho Sid in World Championship Wrestlin ...

, professional wrestler known as "Sycho" Sid Vicious/Justice *

Sidney Fox Sidney Fox (born Sarah Liefer; December 10, 1907 – November 15, 1942) was an American stage and film actress in the late 1920s and 1930s.Sidney Fox Beaha's age in some records is given as 30 or 31 when she died, including in the registry ...

(1907-1942), American stage and film actress *

Sid Field Sidney Arthur Field (1 April 1904 – 3 February 1950) was an English comedy entertainer who was popular in the 1940s. Early years Field was born in Ladywood, Birmingham, Warwickshire, the son of Albert (a candlemaker) and Bertha (a dressma ...

(1904–1950), English comedy entertainer * Sid Gepford (1895–1924), American football halfback *

Sid Gillman Sidney Gillman (October 26, 1911 – January 3, 2003) was an American football player, coach and executive. Gillman's insistence on stretching the football field by throwing deep downfield passes, instead of short passes to running backs or w ...

(1911–2003), American football player and coach *

Sidney Leslie Goodwin The Unknown Child refers to the initially unidentified body of Sidney Leslie Goodwin, a 19-month-old British toddler who was recovered by the ''Mackay-Bennett'' after the sinking of the RMS ''Titanic''. For almost a century, Goodwin's gravest ...

(1910–1912), English child who perished in the ''Titanic'' disaster *

Sidney Gordin Sidney Alexander Gordin (1918–1996) was a Russian-born American artist and educator, known for his abstract paintings, prints, and sculptures. He was a Professor Emeritus at University of California, Berkeley, where he taught from 1958 to 1986. ...

(1918–1996), Russian-born American artist, professor *

Sid Gordon Sidney Gordon (August 13, 1917 – June 17, 1975) was an American right-handed Major League Baseball two-time All-Star outfielder, third baseman, and first baseman. He had a 13-year career in MLB for the New York Giants (1941–43, 1946–49, a ...

(1917–1975), American major league baseball All-Star player *

Sidney Govou Sidney Rodrigue Noukpo Govou (born 27 July 1979) is a French former professional footballer who played primarily as a winger, but was occasionally deployed as a striker. He holds the record for most Ligue 1 titles won (seven), along with Hervé ...

(born 1979), French football player *

Sid Hadden Sidney Hadden (26 August 1877 – 2 November 1934) was an English cricketer. Hadden's batting style is unknown, but it is known he fielded as a wicket-keeper. He was born at Hastings, Sussex. He made his first-class debut for Essex aga ...

(1877–1934), English cricketer *

Sidney Hertzberg Sidney "Sonny" Hertzberg (July 29, 1922 – July 25, 2005) was an American professional basketball player. Early life Hertzberg was born in Brooklyn, New York, grew up in Crown Heights, and was Jewish. Hertzberg played at Samuel J. Tilden H ...

(1922-2005), American pro basketball player *

Sidney Mttron Hirsch Sidney Mttron Hirsch (January 3, 1884 – April 7, 1962) was an American model and playwright. He was a model for sculptors Auguste Rodin and Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney. He was a member of The Fugitives. Early life Sidney Mttron Hirsch was bo ...

(1884–1962), American model and playwright *

Sidney Homer Sidney Homer, Sr. (9 December 1864 – 10 July 1953) was a classical composer, primarily of songs. Biography Homer was the youngest child born to deaf parents in Boston, Massachusetts on December 9, 1864 (some sources use 1865). He attended ...

(1864–1953), American composer *

Sidney William Jackson Sidney William Jackson (12 June 1873 – 30 September 1946) was an Australian naturalist and field ornithologist with a special interest in oology, who was also a skilled photographer and taxidermist. History Jackson was born in Brisbane, Q ...

(1873–1946), Australian ornithologist *

Sid James Sidney James (born Solomon Joel Cohen; 8 May 1913 – 26 April 1976) was a British actor and comedian whose career encompassed radio, television, stage and screen. He was best known for numerous roles in the Carry On film series. Born to a mi ...

(1913–1976), South African-born English film and television actor * Sidney Jones (American football) (born 1995), American football player * Sidney Knott (1933–2020), South African cricketer *

Sidney Lanier Sidney Clopton Lanier (February 3, 1842 – September 7, 1881) was an American musician, poet and author. He served in the Confederate States Army as a private, worked on a blockade-running ship for which he was imprisoned (resulting in his catch ...

(1842–1881), American musician, poet and author *

Sidney Lee Sir Sidney Lee (5 December 1859 – 3 March 1926) was an English biographer, writer, and critic. Biography Lee was born Solomon Lazarus Lee in 1859 at 12 Keppel Street, Bloomsbury, London. He was educated at the City of London School and at ...

(1859–1926), English biographer, writer and critic *

Sid Luckman Sidney Luckman (November 21, 1916 – July 5, 1998) was an American professional football player who was a quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) from 1939 through 1950. During his twelve seasons with the Bears ...

(1916–1998), American NFL Hall of Fame football player *

Sidney Lumet Sidney Arthur Lumet ( ; June 25, 1924 – April 9, 2011) was an American film director. He was nominated five times for the Academy Award: four for Best Director for '' 12 Angry Men'' (1957), '' Dog Day Afternoon'' (1975), '' Network'' (19 ...

(1924–2011), American film director * Sidney Magal (born 1953), Brazilian singer and actor *

Sidney McKnight Sidney McKnight (born August 31, 1955 in Prince George, British Columbia) is a retired boxer from Canada, who represented his native country at the 1976 Summer Olympics. There he was defeated in the first round of the men's light flyweight division ...

(born 1955), Canadian boxer *

Sid Meier Sidney K. Meier ( ; born February 24, 1954) is a Canadian-American programmer, designer, and producer of several strategy video games and simulation video games, including the ''Civilization'' series. Meier co-founded MicroProse in 1982 with Bi ...

(born 1954), game developer, famous for his ''Civilization'' series *

Sidney Meyers Sidney Meyers (March 9, 1906 – December 4, 1969), also known by the pen name Robert Stebbins was an American film director and editor. Sidney Meyers is best known for two documentary films: '' The Quiet One'', which he wrote and directed, a ...

(1906–1969), American film director *

Sidney Mobell Sidney F. Mobell (April 10, 1926 – November 4, 2022) was an American artist, jeweler, and philanthropist from San Francisco. He owned Mobell Jewelry and was known for his designs of everyday objects made of gold and jewels. He lived in Hillsbor ...

(1926–2022), American artist, jeweler, and philanthropist *

Sidney Moncrief Sidney Alvin Moncrief (born September 21, 1957) is an American former professional basketball player. As an NCAA college basketball player from 1975 to 1979, Moncrief played for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks, leading them to the 1978 F ...

(born 1957), American basketball player * Sidney Moraes (born 1977), Brazilian footballer *

Sidney Myer Sidney Myer (born Simcha Myer Baevski (); 8 February 18785 September 1934) was a Russian-born Australian Jews, Jewish-Australian businessman and philanthropist, best known for founding Myer, Australia's largest chain of department stores. Earl ...

(1878–1934), Australian businessman and philanthropist *

Sidney Nolan Sir Sidney Robert Nolan (22 April 191728 November 1992) was one of Australia's leading artists of the 20th century. Working in a wide variety of mediums, his oeuvre is among the most diverse and prolific in all of modern art. He is best known ...

(1917–1992), Australian artist *

Sidney Arnold Pakeman Colonel Sidney Arnold Pakeman, CBE, MC, ED (4 January 1891 – 15 June 1975) was a British academic and a member of the Parliament of Ceylon. Early life and education Sidney Arnold Pakeman was born in Bristol, England on 1 April 1891, t ...

(1891–1975), British soldier, professor and politician * Sidney Phillips (1924–2015), American soldier and physician *

Sidney Poitier Sidney Poitier ( ; February 20, 1927 – January 6, 2022) was an American actor, film director, and diplomat. In 1964, he was the first black actor and first Bahamian to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. He received two competitive Go ...

(1927–2022), American actor *

Sidney Ponson Sidney Alton Ponson (; born November 2, 1976) is an Aruban former Major League Baseball pitcher. As a player, Ponson stood at tall and weighed . He threw right-handed with a fastball that clocked out at 95 mph. When he made his major league ...

(born 1976), Aruban baseball pitcher *

Sidney Powell Sidney Katherine Powell (born 1955) is an American attorney, former federal prosecutor, and conspiracy theorist who attempted to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election, which led the State Bar of Texas to seek sanctions against ...

(born 1955), American attorney *

Sidney Pullen Sidney Pullen (14 July 1895 – 1950s) was an English football Midfielder, who played for Flamengo, a club based in Rio de Janeiro. Biography Born in Southampton, Sidney migrated to Brazil after his father, Hugh Pullen, was transferred to a fact ...

(1895– 1950), English football (soccer) player *

Sidney Rittenberg Sidney Rittenberg (; August 14, 1921 – August 24, 2019) was an American journalist, scholar, and Chinese linguist who lived in China from 1944 to 1980. He worked closely with Mao Zedong, Zhu De, Zhou Enlai, and other leaders of the Chinese ...

(1921–2019), American journalist *

Sidney Sheldon Sidney Sheldon (February 11, 1917 – January 30, 2007) was an American writer. He was prominent in the 1930s, first working on Broadway plays, and then in motion pictures, notably writing the successful comedy '' The Bachelor and the Bobby-Sox ...

(1917–2007), American writer and producer * Sidney Souza (born 1972), Brazilian footballer *

Sidney Spencer Sidney Spencer (born March 7, 1985) is an American professional basketball who most recently played for the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA. Born in Hoover, Alabama, Spencer attended the University of Tennessee, and in April 2007 led the team t ...

(born 1985), American basketball player *

Sidney Tannenbaum Sidney Harold Tanenbaum (October 8, 1925 – September 4, 1986) was an American professional basketball player. He was twice a consensus first-team All-American (in 1946 and 1947) and twice a Haggerty Award winner (1946 and 1947). He went on to ...

(1925–1986), American basketball player *

Sid Terris Sidney Terris (September 7, 1904 – December 30, 1974) was a top rated American lightweight boxing contender from the lower East Side of Manhattan. He excelled as an amateur, winning fifty straight bouts and taking Metropolitan, New York State, ...

(1904–1974), American lightweight boxer * Sidney Veysey (born 1955), Canadian ice hockey player *

Sidney Wicks Sidney Wicks (born September 19, 1949) is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A native of California, he played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins. Wicks was selected by the Portland ...

(born 1949), American basketball player *

Sid Wilson Sidney George Wilson (born January 20, 1977) is an American musician. He is the turntablist for the heavy metal band Slipknot, in which he is designated #0. Wilson was the youngest member of the band until bassist Alessandro Venturella and dru ...

(born 1977), American DJ, keyboardist and pianist

Notes

{{Given name English given names English unisex given names English masculine given names English feminine given names

People

See also

Notes