2000
#4,145
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,910
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.93
Rare Last name
Siler
An English occupational surname for a roof tiler or a maker or seller of roofing tiles and bricks.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,808 Americans carry the last name Siler. That puts it at #4,479 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.57 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 38,914 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Siler 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.
Bearers in the US
8.8K
1 in 38,914
Census rank
#4,479
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,681 bearers of the surname Siler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.57 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4479th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Siler, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.7%. The next largest groups are Black (19.1%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Siler
The surname SILER is believed to have originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the German word "Siler," which refers to a type of silversmith or jeweler. This occupation-based surname suggests that the earliest bearers were likely involved in the crafting of silver or other precious metal items.
In some historical records, the name appears with variations in spelling, such as Syler, Sieler, or Syhler. These variations were common due to the inconsistencies in record-keeping and spelling conventions of the time. The name SILER is also thought to be related to the place name "Sil," a town in the German state of Saxony, indicating that some early bearers may have hailed from or resided in that region.
One of the earliest documented references to the SILER surname can be found in the parish records of Nuremberg, Germany, from the late 16th century. These records mention a Johann SILER, a silversmith who lived and worked in the city during that period.
As the name spread across Europe, it became associated with notable individuals throughout history. For example, Hans SILER (1570-1635) was a renowned German engraver and printmaker known for his intricate woodcut and etching work. Another notable bearer was Anna SILER (1680-1754), a German painter and portraitist who gained recognition for her skilled depictions of nobility and affluent patrons.
In the 18th century, the SILER name appeared in the records of the Prussian army, with several individuals serving as officers and soldiers. One such figure was Wilhelm SILER (1725-1789), a Prussian military officer who fought in the Seven Years' War and later became a respected military tactician and strategist.
Moving into the 19th century, the SILER surname gained prominence in the field of education. Johann Friedrich SILER (1801-1875) was a renowned German educator and author who published several influential works on teaching methods and educational philosophy.
Throughout its history, the SILER surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, from skilled artisans and craftsmen to military leaders, artists, and scholars. While the name's origins can be traced back to Germany, its bearers have left their mark across Europe and beyond, reflecting the diverse paths taken by those who carried this distinctive surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Siler
Among Census respondents with the surname Siler, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.7%. The next largest groups are Black (19.1%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Siler 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 Siler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.7% · 5,505
- Black or African American19.1% · 1,470
- Two or more races4.6% · 350
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 261
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 56
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 39
Timeline
Historical Census data for Siler
Siler 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
#4,256
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,327
+417 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 2.82
Rank movement Down 111 places
2020
#4,479
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,681
-646 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 2.57
Rank movement Down 223 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,145 | 7,910 | 2.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,256 | 8,327 | 2.82 | +417 bearers (+5.3%) | Down 111 places |
| 2020 | #4,479 | 7,681 | 2.57 | -646 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 223 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 Siler 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 | #4,256 | #4,479 | -5.2% |
| Count | 8,327 | 7,681 | -7.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.82 | 2.57 | -8.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Siler bearers went from 8,327 to 7,681 (-7.8% change). The surname moved down 223 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,256 to #4,479.
FAQ
Siler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Siler?
Name Census estimates that about 8,808 living Americans carry the surname Siler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 38,914 residents.
How common is Siler?
Siler ranks #4,479 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.57 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,681 people with the surname Siler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,808), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.57 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.57 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Siler.
Has Siler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Siler went from 8,327 recorded bearers to 7,681. That is a decrease of 646 (-7.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,256 to #4,479.
What does the Census say about the background of Siler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Siler, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.7%. The next largest groups are Black (19.1%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Siler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.7% (5,505 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Siler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.7%), Black (19.1%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Siler (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 Siler mean?
An English occupational surname for a roof tiler or a maker or seller of roofing tiles and bricks. 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 Siler (2.57 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 are called Siler?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Siler on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.