Find out how popular the last name D'Silva is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named D'Silva.

D'Silva, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the D'Silva surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of D'Silva in America

D'Silva is the 38439th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The D'Silva surname appeared 576 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname D'Silva.

We can also compare 2010 data for D'Silva to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name D'Silva

The surname DSILVA is of Portuguese origin, tracing its roots back to the 15th century. Its inception can be attributed to the Sephardic Jewish community that flourished in the Iberian Peninsula. The name is derived from the Portuguese word "silva," meaning forest or woodland.

During the era of the Inquisition in Portugal, many Sephardic Jews converted to Christianity, either genuinely or as a means of survival. The DSILVA surname emerged as a way for these conversos, or converted Jews, to assimilate into the dominant Catholic society while preserving their cultural heritage.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the DSILVA name can be found in the archives of the Évora Cathedral in Portugal, where a certain Isaac DSILVA is mentioned in a document dated 1492. This coincides with the expulsion of Jews from Spain, suggesting that Isaac DSILVA may have been a converso seeking refuge in neighboring Portugal.

In the 16th century, as Portuguese explorers and settlers ventured to colonies around the world, the DSILVA name began to spread globally. Notable individuals bearing this surname include Fernão DSILVA, a Portuguese explorer who accompanied Vasco da Gama on his historic voyage to India in 1498.

Another prominent figure was Garcia DSILVA, a renowned cartographer who lived between 1480 and 1542. His maps and charts significantly contributed to the Age of Discovery, facilitating navigation and exploration across the oceans.

During the 17th century, the DSILVA name gained prominence in the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia) due to the establishment of Portuguese trading posts in the region. One notable figure from this era was João DSILVA, a merchant and diplomat who played a crucial role in maintaining trade relations between the Portuguese and local rulers.

In the 18th century, the DSILVA surname found its way to Brazil, where many Portuguese settlers established themselves. António DSILVA, born in 1720, was a prominent landowner and cattle rancher in the state of Minas Gerais, contributing to the region's agricultural development.

As the Portuguese empire expanded, so did the reach of the DSILVA name. In the 19th century, José DSILVA, born in 1812, was a respected educator and linguist who dedicated his life to preserving and promoting the Portuguese language in the former Portuguese colonies of Africa.

These are just a few examples of the rich history and global reach of the DSILVA surname, which has left an indelible mark across continents and centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name D'Silva

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname D'Silva.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for D'Silva was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of D'Silva has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name D'Silva was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of D'Silva, please contact us.

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