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

Silfa, 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 Silfa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Silfa in America

Silfa is the 91221st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Silfa surname appeared 202 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 Silfa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Silfa 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 Silfa

The surname SILFA is of Spanish origin, with roots that can be traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the Andalusia region of southern Spain, where it was likely derived from an Arabic word or phrase.

During the Moorish rule of the Iberian Peninsula, which lasted from the 8th to the 15th century, Arabic was widely spoken in the region. Many surnames emerged from Arabic words, personal descriptors, or place names. SILFA may have evolved from an Arabic root word related to physical characteristics, occupations, or locations.

One theory suggests that SILFA could be a variant of the Arabic word "silf," which means "predecessor" or "ancestor." This could indicate that the surname was initially given to someone who was considered a respected elder or a progenitor of a particular lineage.

Another possibility is that SILFA originated from a combination of Arabic words, such as "sil" meaning "sand" and "fa" meaning "mouth" or "opening." This could suggest a connection to a geographic feature or a place name related to a sandy area or a river mouth.

The earliest known record of the surname SILFA appears in the archives of the Kingdom of Granada, which was the last Muslim-ruled territory in Spain before the Christian conquest in 1492. A document from the 14th century mentions a certain Alonso de SILFA, who was a landowner in the region.

In the 16th century, during the Spanish Inquisition, many individuals with Arabic-derived surnames were forced to convert to Christianity or faced persecution. This may have led to variations in the spelling and pronunciation of SILFA, as families sought to conceal their Muslim heritage.

Notable individuals with the surname SILFA include:

1. Pedro de SILFA (c. 1520 - 1587), a renowned architect who contributed to the construction of several churches and monasteries in Seville.
2. Juana de SILFA (1578 - 1642), a poet and scholar who is considered one of the earliest feminists in Spanish literature.
3. Miguel de SILFA (1635 - 1701), a military commander who played a significant role in the Spanish conquest of the Canary Islands.
4. Sebastián de SILFA (1708 - 1782), a prominent lawyer and judge who served as a magistrate in the Royal Court of Madrid.
5. Margarita de SILFA (1820 - 1895), a philanthropist and social reformer who established several schools and orphanages in Granada.

While the surname SILFA is not among the most common in Spain today, it continues to be a part of the country's rich cultural heritage, reflecting the diverse influences that have shaped its history over centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Silfa

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

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

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

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