Sidney m, occasionally f
English: transferred use of the surname, which is usually said to be a Norman baronial name from Saint-Denis in France. However, at least in the case of the family of the poet and soldier Sir Philip Sidney (1554–86), it appears to have a more humble origin, being derived from lands in Surrey named as the ‘wide meadow’ (Old English sīdan wide (dative case) + ēg island in a river, riverside meadow). The popularity of the male name increased considerably in the 19th century, probably under the influence of Sidney Carton, hero of Dickens's novel A Tale of Two Cities (1859). As a female name it is perhaps in part a contsracted form of SIDONY (SEE Sidony), and coincidentally represents a metathesized form of SINDY (SEE Sindy), but this use is quite rare.
Variant: Sydney.
Short form: Sid.
First names dictionary. 2012.