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

Selva, 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 Selva surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Selva in America

Selva is the 25187th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Selva surname appeared 984 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 Selva.

We can also compare 2010 data for Selva 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 Selva

The surname Selva is believed to have originated in Italy, specifically in the regions of Piedmont and Lombardy. It is derived from the Italian word "selva," which means "forest" or "woodland." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near or in a forested area.

In the 13th century, a prominent family bearing the name Selva resided in the town of Asti, located in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy. Historical records from that period, such as municipal archives and property deeds, mention several members of this family.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Selva can be found in a document dated 1283, which refers to a certain Guglielmo Selva from Asti. This document is preserved in the archives of the city of Asti.

During the Renaissance period, the Selva family played a notable role in the cultural and intellectual life of Italy. Antonio Selva (1480-1538), a renowned humanist scholar and poet from Milan, was highly regarded for his contributions to literature and philosophy.

In the 17th century, a branch of the Selva family settled in the city of Venice, where they established themselves as successful merchants and traders. One prominent figure from this lineage was Marco Selva (1620-1688), a wealthy Venetian merchant who played a significant role in the city's economic and political affairs.

Another notable individual with the surname Selva was Giuseppe Selva (1701-1781), an Italian architect and engineer who gained recognition for his work on several important buildings and infrastructure projects in the Piedmont region.

In the 19th century, the Selva name gained further prominence with the birth of Baldassare Selva (1836-1898), an Italian politician and statesman who served as the Prime Minister of Italy from 1893 to 1896.

Throughout history, the surname Selva has also been associated with various place names and geographic locations. For instance, the village of Selvamaggio in the province of Treviso, Italy, derived its name from the Italian words "selva" (forest) and "maggio" (May), likely referring to a forested area where trees bloomed in the month of May.

While the surname Selva is primarily concentrated in Italy, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, its origins can be traced back to the forested regions of northern Italy, where it first emerged as a surname during the medieval period.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Selva

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

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 Selva 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 Selva 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 Selva was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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