Silvana
Of Latin origin, meaning "from the woods" or "forest dweller".
Name Census estimates that about 2,217 living Americans carry the first name Silvana. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Silvana today is around 30 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Silvana births was 2007 (64 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Silvana. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
2.2K
~ 1 in 154,603 Americans
Peak year
2007
64 babies that year
Average age
30
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,488
Tracked since 1950
Popularity
Silvana: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Silvana from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 484 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Silvana remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Silvana by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Silvana during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Silvanas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 9 states and territories. New York, California, Texas recorded the most babies named Silvana, while Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Illinois recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 117 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Silvana
The given name Silvana is derived from the Latin word "silva", meaning "forest" or "woods". It is a feminine form of the masculine name Silvanus, which was the name of a Roman god associated with forests, trees, and woodland creatures.
The name Silvana can be traced back to the ancient Roman civilization, where it was likely used as a name for girls born in or near forested areas. The name's connection to nature and the outdoors made it a popular choice among Roman families living in rural or wooded regions.
In medieval times, the name Silvana gained popularity among Christian families, particularly in regions like Italy, Spain, and Portugal. It was likely seen as a suitable name for girls due to its association with the natural world, which was often viewed as a reflection of God's creation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Silvana dates back to the 12th century, when a noblewoman named Silvana de Fieschi lived in the Italian city of Genoa. She was a member of the powerful Fieschi family and played a significant role in the political affairs of the time.
Another notable figure with the name Silvana was Silvana Aruzmen, a 14th-century Italian artist and painter from the city of Verona. She was one of the few female artists of her time to gain recognition for her work, which included religious paintings and frescoes.
In the 16th century, Silvana Ariosti was an Italian noblewoman and poet who gained recognition for her literary works. She was born in Ferrara in 1502 and was known for her poetry collection titled "Rime di Diversi Eccellenti Autori" (Poems by Various Excellent Authors).
During the 17th century, Silvana Curiazi was an Italian painter and engraver who was active in Rome. She was known for her religious paintings and engravings, which were highly regarded by her contemporaries.
In more recent history, Silvana Mangano was an Italian actress and film star who rose to prominence in the 1940s and 1950s. Born in 1930 in Rome, she starred in numerous Italian and international films, including "Bitter Rice" (1949) and "Dossier Nero" (1962).
Notable bearers
Famous people named Silvana
People
Silvana + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Silvana as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Silvana: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Silvana?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,217 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Silvana going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 154,603 US residents.
Is Silvana a common name?
We classify Silvana as "Rare". It ranks above 94.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,372 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Silvana most popular?
The single biggest year for Silvana was 2007, when 64 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Silvana is about 30 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Silvana a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Silvana in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.