Sylvia originates in Latin language and means "from the woods". It is a variant of Silvia and a feminine form of Silvius. Rhea Silvia is considered the founder of Rome and the mother of Romulus and Remus. Silvia is also the Roman goddess of the moon and the forest. In English-speaking countries, the name was popularized in The Two Gentlemen of Verona, a play by William Shakespeare.