2000
#2,378
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,978
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.18
Uncommon Last name
Dasilva
A Portuguese toponymic surname indicating a person who lived near or worked in the woods or forest.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 28,559 Americans carry the last name Dasilva. That puts it at #1,397 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 12,002 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dasilva surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Dasilva with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
29K
1 in 12,002
Census rank
#1,397
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
25K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 24,905 bearers of the surname Dasilva in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1397th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dasilva, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.7%. The next largest groups are Black (10.5%) and Hispanic (10.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dasilva
The surname DASILVA has its origins in Portugal, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Portuguese phrase "da silva," which translates to "from the forest" or "from the woods." This suggests that the name originally referred to someone who lived near or worked in a forested area.
In the early days, the name was often spelled in various ways, such as "Da Silva," "D'Assilva," or "DeSilva," reflecting regional dialects and orthographic preferences. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in Portuguese historical documents from the 12th and 13th centuries, particularly in regions like Minho, Trás-os-Montes, and Beiras.
One notable early figure bearing this surname was João da Silva, a Portuguese explorer who participated in the conquest of Ceuta in 1415, during the reign of King John I. Another prominent individual was Diogo da Silva, a 15th-century navigator and explorer who accompanied Vasco da Gama on his historic voyage to India in 1497-1499.
As the Portuguese empire expanded, the DASILVA name spread to various colonies and territories, including Brazil, Africa, and parts of Asia. In Brazil, the name became particularly common, with many notable figures emerging over the centuries. One such individual was Tomé da Silva Teles, a 17th-century landowner and cattle rancher who played a significant role in the development of the Brazilian Northeast.
In the 18th century, José da Silva Lisboa, also known as the Viscount of Cairu, was a prominent Brazilian economist and statesman who made significant contributions to the country's economic and political development. Later, in the 19th century, Joaquim José da Silva Xavier, known as Tiradentes, became a prominent figure in the Brazilian independence movement and is considered a national hero.
Other notable individuals with the DASILVA surname include the 20th-century Portuguese writer and poet Miguel Torga (1907-1995), whose real name was Adolfo Correia da Silva, and the Brazilian actress and producer Camila da Silva (born 1985), known for her work in television and film.
Overall, the DASILVA surname has a rich history that can be traced back to medieval Portugal, and it has since spread across the globe, carried by explorers, settlers, and individuals from various walks of life.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dasilva
Among Census respondents with the surname Dasilva, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.7%. The next largest groups are Black (10.5%) and Hispanic (10.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Dasilva bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Dasilva surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.7% · 18,104
- Black or African American10.5% · 2,613
- Hispanic or Latino10.4% · 2,586
- Two or more races3.4% · 857
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 662
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 83
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dasilva
Dasilva appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#1,767
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 20,338
+6,360 bearers (+45.5%)
Per 100,000 6.89
Rank movement Up 611 places
2020
#1,397
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 24,905
+4,567 bearers (+22.5%)
Per 100,000 8.33
Rank movement Up 370 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,378 | 13,978 | 5.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,767 | 20,338 | 6.89 | +6,360 bearers (+45.5%) | Up 611 places |
| 2020 | #1,397 | 24,905 | 8.33 | +4,567 bearers (+22.5%) | Up 370 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Dasilva surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,767 | #1,397 | 20.9% |
| Count | 20,338 | 24,905 | 22.5% |
| Per 100K | 6.89 | 8.33 | 20.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dasilva bearers went from 20,338 to 24,905 (+22.5% change). The surname moved up 370 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,767 to #1,397.
FAQ
Dasilva surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dasilva?
Name Census estimates that about 28,559 living Americans carry the surname Dasilva. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 12,002 residents.
How common is Dasilva?
Dasilva ranks #1,397 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.33 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 24,905 people with the surname Dasilva. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (28,559), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.33 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Dasilva.
Has Dasilva become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dasilva went from 20,338 recorded bearers to 24,905. That is an increase of 4,567 (+22.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,767 to #1,397.
What does the Census say about the background of Dasilva?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dasilva, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.7%. The next largest groups are Black (10.5%) and Hispanic (10.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Dasilva in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.7% (18,104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dasilva appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.7%), Black (10.5%), Hispanic (10.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Dasilva (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Dasilva mean?
A Portuguese toponymic surname indicating a person who lived near or worked in the woods or forest. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Dasilva (8.33 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Dasilva?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.