Find out how popular the last name Hernández-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 Hernández-Silva.

Hernández-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 Hernández-Silva surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hernández-Silva in America

Hernández-Silva is the 160975th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hernández-Silva surname appeared 100 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 Hernández-Silva.

The history of the last name Hernández-Silva

The surname HERNANDEZSILVA is a compound Spanish surname that originated in the Iberian Peninsula during the late medieval period. It is believed to have been formed through the combination of two distinct family names, Hernandez and Silva, reflecting the union of two lineages through marriage or other familial ties.

The first component, Hernandez, traces its roots to the Germanic name Ferdinandus, which was introduced to the Iberian Peninsula during the Visigothic era. Ferdinandus was derived from the elements "fridu" (peace) and "nanth" (daring, brave). Over time, it evolved into the Spanish form Hernando or Hernandez, with the patronymic suffix "-ez" indicating "son of."

The second component, Silva, is a widespread surname of Latin origin, derived from the word "silva," meaning "forest" or "woods." It was likely adopted as a descriptive surname, referring to individuals who lived near or worked in forested areas.

Historical records indicate that the combined surname HERNANDEZSILVA appeared in various regions of Spain and Portugal as early as the 15th century. One notable individual bearing this name was Diego Hernandez de Silva, a Spanish nobleman and military commander who participated in the Reconquista against the Moors in the late 15th century.

Another prominent figure was Juan Hernandez de Silva y Mendoza (1500-1575), a Spanish soldier and explorer who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico. He later served as the governor of the province of Panuco and played a significant role in the colonization efforts in New Spain.

In the 17th century, Pedro Hernandez de Silva (1612-1680) was a renowned Spanish playwright and poet renowned for his contributions to the Golden Age of Spanish literature. His works, including comedies and autos sacramentales, were highly influential during his time.

The name HERNANDEZSILVA also gained prominence in the New World, where many Spanish settlers and colonists bearing this surname established themselves. One such individual was José Hernandez de Silva (1720-1788), a wealthy landowner and rancher in the Viceroyalty of New Granada (present-day Colombia and Panama).

In more recent history, Pedro Hernandez Silva (1886-1952) was a prominent Venezuelan politician and diplomat who served as the country's Minister of Foreign Affairs and played a crucial role in the resolution of territorial disputes with neighboring nations.

While the surname HERNANDEZSILVA has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly in Latin American countries with strong Spanish colonial influences, such as Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hernández-Silva

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Hernández-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 Hernández-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.

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 Hernández-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 Hernández-Silva, please contact us.

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