2000
#7,698
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,986
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.48
Rare Last name
Desilva
Of Portuguese origin, meaning "of the forest" or "of the woods," referring to someone who lived near a forest.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,982 Americans carry the last name Desilva. That puts it at #6,273 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 57,298 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Desilva 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 Desilva with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.0K
1 in 57,298
Census rank
#6,273
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,217 bearers of the surname Desilva in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6273rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Desilva, the largest self-reported group is White at 38.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (34.5%) and Black (9.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Desilva
The surname DeSilva is of Portuguese origin and can be traced back to the 15th century. It is derived from the Latin word "silva," meaning "forest" or "woodland." The "de" prefix is commonly used in Portuguese surnames to indicate a place of origin or lineage.
This surname is believed to have originated in the region of Estremadura, which is located in central Portugal. It is likely that the earliest bearers of this name lived in or near a forested area, leading to the name's development. In its earliest forms, the name may have been spelled as "da Silva" or "de Silva."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the DeSilva surname dates back to the 15th century, when it appeared in a medieval Portuguese manuscript. This document mentioned a nobleman named João da Silva, who was a prominent figure in the court of King João II.
During the Age of Exploration in the 15th and 16th centuries, many Portuguese explorers and settlers carried the DeSilva name to various parts of the world, including Brazil, Africa, and Asia. For example, Nuno da Silva was a Portuguese explorer who played a significant role in the colonization of Brazil in the early 16th century.
In the 17th century, a notable figure named João Rodrigues DeSilva was a Portuguese poet and writer who lived in Goa, India. His works provide valuable insights into the cultural and literary landscape of the Portuguese colonial era.
Another prominent individual with the DeSilva surname was Francisco de Almeida e Silva, a Portuguese nobleman and military commander who served as the first Viceroy of Portuguese India in the early 16th century. He played a crucial role in establishing and strengthening Portuguese presence in the Indian subcontinent.
In the 18th century, Luís da Silva Mousinho de Albuquerque was a Portuguese military officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor-General of Portuguese India from 1789 to 1797. He is credited with implementing several reforms and modernizing the administrative structures in Portuguese territories.
Over time, the DeSilva surname has spread to various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and other countries with significant Portuguese communities. While the name has undergone some variations in spelling, its Portuguese origins and connection to the concept of forests or woodlands remain evident.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Desilva
Among Census respondents with the surname Desilva, the largest self-reported group is White at 38.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (34.5%) and Black (9.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Desilva 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 Desilva surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White38.0% · 1,980
- Asian and Pacific Islander34.5% · 1,798
- Black or African American9.9% · 519
- Hispanic or Latino9.7% · 507
- Two or more races7.2% · 378
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 35
Timeline
Historical Census data for Desilva
Desilva 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
#7,075
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,731
+745 bearers (+18.7%)
Per 100,000 1.60
Rank movement Up 623 places
2020
#6,273
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,217
+486 bearers (+10.3%)
Per 100,000 1.75
Rank movement Up 802 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,698 | 3,986 | 1.48 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,075 | 4,731 | 1.60 | +745 bearers (+18.7%) | Up 623 places |
| 2020 | #6,273 | 5,217 | 1.75 | +486 bearers (+10.3%) | Up 802 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 Desilva 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 | #7,075 | #6,273 | 11.3% |
| Count | 4,731 | 5,217 | 10.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.60 | 1.75 | 9.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Desilva bearers went from 4,731 to 5,217 (+10.3% change). The surname moved up 802 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,075 to #6,273.
FAQ
Desilva surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Desilva?
Name Census estimates that about 5,982 living Americans carry the surname Desilva. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 57,298 residents.
How common is Desilva?
Desilva ranks #6,273 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.75 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,217 people with the surname Desilva. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,982), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.75 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.75 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Desilva.
Has Desilva become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Desilva went from 4,731 recorded bearers to 5,217. That is an increase of 486 (+10.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,075 to #6,273.
What does the Census say about the background of Desilva?
Among Census respondents with the surname Desilva, the largest self-reported group is White at 38.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (34.5%) and Black (9.9%). 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 Desilva in the 2020 Census, accounting for 38.0% (1,980 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Desilva appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (38.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (34.5%), Black (9.9%). 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 Desilva (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 Desilva mean?
Of Portuguese origin, meaning "of the forest" or "of the woods," referring to someone who lived near a 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 Desilva (1.75 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 Desilva?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.