Syair is a modern American coinage with no settled etymology, apparently modeled on names like Zyair and Zaire with a soft s at the front. It happens to coincide with the Malay word syair, a traditional form of "poem" that goes back to the Arabic shi'r, though most American parents choose the name for its sound. Syair has risen remarkably fast in the United States, from number 7966 in 2015 to number 1449 in 2025, its best rank so far.