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

Silk, 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 Silk surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Silk in America

Silk is the 10140th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Silk surname appeared 3,180 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Silk.

We can also compare 2010 data for Silk 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 Silk

The surname SILK is of English origin and is believed to have originated in the 13th century. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "seolc" or "silk", referring to someone who worked with silk, such as a silk merchant or weaver.

The name is found in various early records, including the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273, where it is recorded as "le Silke". It also appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1301 as "le Sylke".

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname SILK is in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a Richard Silk is mentioned. The surname is also found in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire in 1332, with a John Silk listed.

In the 14th century, the name is recorded in various places, such as Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, and Warwickshire, suggesting that it was particularly prevalent in the West Midlands region of England.

The surname SILK is also associated with several place names, such as Silk Willoughby and Silk Woodhouse in Lincolnshire, as well as Silkmore in Staffordshire. These place names likely derived from the surname, indicating that individuals with the name SILK were landowners or had established settlements in these areas.

Notable individuals with the surname SILK include:

1. Thomas Silk (c. 1600 - 1666), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Taunton during the English Civil War.

2. John Silk (1784 - 1867), an English cricketer who played for Hampshire and Surrey in the early 19th century.

3. Sir Thomas Silk (1846 - 1922), a British businessman and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Stafford from 1900 to 1906.

4. Daniel Silk (1617 - 1707), an English Puritan minister and author who wrote several religious works.

5. William Silk (1786 - 1852), an English inventor and engineer who is credited with developing the first practical silk-spinning machine in the early 19th century.

The surname SILK has been found in various historical records, including parish registers, tax rolls, and legal documents, attesting to its long-standing presence in England and its association with the silk trade and textile industry.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Silk

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

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

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

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