2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Silin
A surname of Russian origin, potentially derived from the word "silo" meaning strength or force.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Silin. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Silin 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Silin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Silin, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.5%. The next largest groups are Black (22.8%) and Hispanic (10.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Silin
The surname SILIN has its origins in Russia, dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Russian word "sila," meaning "strength" or "power." The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for a physically strong or powerful individual.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SILIN can be found in the Velvet Book, a historical document from the 16th century that recorded noble families and their coats of arms. The SILIN family was listed among the nobility of Moscow, suggesting they held a prominent position in Russian society during that time.
In the 17th century, the name SILIN appeared in various records and manuscripts related to the Russian Orthodox Church. For instance, a priest named Ivan SILIN was mentioned in a church document from 1632, indicating the name's association with the clergy.
The SILIN surname is also connected to several place names in Russia. One such place is the village of Silino, located in the Tver region. It's possible that the name SILIN originated from this location or that the village was named after an early bearer of the surname.
One notable individual with the SILIN surname was Yakov SILIN (1624-1698), a Russian military leader who played a crucial role in the Russo-Turkish War of 1677-1681. He was known for his strategic skills and bravery on the battlefield.
Another famous figure was Nikolai SILIN (1786-1852), a Russian writer and poet who contributed to the Golden Age of Russian literature. His works, including poems and short stories, were widely acclaimed during his lifetime.
In the 20th century, Vasily SILIN (1901-1982) was a prominent Soviet engineer and scientist. He made significant contributions to the development of nuclear power plants and was awarded the prestigious Lenin Prize for his achievements.
Furthermore, the SILIN surname is associated with the Russian painter and artist Mikhail SILIN (1928-2010), whose works were exhibited in various galleries throughout Russia and internationally.
Lastly, Yelena SILIN (born 1962) is a renowned Russian ballerina and choreographer. She has performed with the Bolshoi Ballet and has been recognized for her exceptional talent and artistry on the stage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Silin
Among Census respondents with the surname Silin, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.5%. The next largest groups are Black (22.8%) and Hispanic (10.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Silin 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 Silin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White60.5% · 69
- Black or African American22.8% · 26
- Hispanic or Latino10.5% · 12
- Two or more races3.5% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Silin
Silin 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
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+14 bearers (+14.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,216 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,275 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+14.0%) | Up 5,216 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 1,275 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 Silin 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 | #145,220 | #146,495 | -0.9% |
| Count | 114 | 114 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Silin bearers went from 114 to 114 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 1,275 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #146,495.
FAQ
Silin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Silin?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Silin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Silin?
Silin ranks #146,495 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 114 people with the surname Silin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Silin.
Has Silin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Silin went from 114 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Silin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Silin, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.5%. The next largest groups are Black (22.8%) and Hispanic (10.5%). 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 Silin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 60.5% (69 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Silin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (60.5%), Black (22.8%), Hispanic (10.5%). 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 Silin (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 Silin mean?
A surname of Russian origin, potentially derived from the word "silo" meaning strength or force. 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 Silin (0.04 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 common is the surname Silin?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Silin at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.