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

Silkett, 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 Silkett surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Silkett in America

Silkett is the 144141st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Silkett surname appeared 115 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 Silkett.

We can also compare 2010 data for Silkett 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 Silkett

The surname Silkett is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a variant spelling of the Old English word "silcett," which referred to a person who lived near a small stream or brook. The earliest known recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 14th century in various tax rolls and parish records from the county of Norfolk.

One of the earliest documented examples of the Silkett surname is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Norfolk, dated 1379, which mentions a John Silkett residing in the village of Mulbarton. Another early reference is in the Court Rolls of Wymondham, Norfolk, from 1412, where a Thomas Silkett is listed as a landowner.

In the 16th century, the name appears to have spread beyond Norfolk, with records showing Silketts living in neighboring counties such as Suffolk and Essex. The Protestation Returns of 1641-1642, a survey conducted during the English Civil War, includes several instances of the Silkett name across various parishes in these regions.

One notable individual bearing the Silkett surname was Sir John Silkett, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was born in Norfolk in 1570 and served as the High Sheriff of Norfolk in 1602. Silkett's involvement in local politics and his substantial landholdings in the county suggest that his family had established itself as part of the gentry by this time.

Another prominent figure was Robert Silkett, a Member of Parliament who represented the borough of Ipswich in Suffolk during the 1620s. He was born in 1585 and played an active role in the political and religious tensions of the era, aligning himself with the Puritan faction within the Church of England.

In the 18th century, the Silkett surname can be found in various church records and parish registers across eastern England, indicating that the name had become well-established in the region. One noteworthy individual from this period was William Silkett, a renowned clockmaker from Norwich, Norfolk, who was active in the late 1700s and is credited with creating several intricate and ornate clocks that are now considered valuable antiques.

The 19th century saw the Silkett name spread further afield, with records showing individuals bearing the surname in various parts of England, as well as in some parts of Wales and Scotland. This was likely due to increased mobility and migration patterns during the Industrial Revolution.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Silkett

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

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

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

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