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

Silva, 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 Silva surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Silva in America

Silva is the 163rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Silva surname appeared 161,633 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 55 people would have the surname Silva.

We can also compare 2010 data for Silva 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 Silva

The surname Silva is of Spanish and Portuguese origin, deriving from the Latin word "silva" meaning "forest" or "woodland." It emerged as a surname in the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages, primarily in areas with dense forestry or wooded regions.

The earliest recorded instances of the Silva surname can be traced back to the 12th century in Spain and Portugal. In Spain, it was particularly prevalent in the regions of Galicia, Asturias, and Cantabria, which were known for their dense forests and woodlands. In Portugal, the surname was widespread throughout the country, reflecting the nation's rich forestry heritage.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Silva surname was Sancho Núñez de Silva, a nobleman who lived in the 12th century and was a prominent figure in the Kingdom of León, Spain. Another notable historical figure was Rui Gomes da Silva, a 14th-century Portuguese knight and military leader who played a crucial role in the Portuguese Reconquista, the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors.

In the 15th century, the Silva surname gained prominence with the rise of the influential Portuguese noble family, the House of Silva. This family produced several notable figures, including João da Silva, 3rd Count of Portalegre (1451-1526), a Portuguese diplomat and military commander, and Diogo da Silva e Mendonça (1455-1521), a Portuguese nobleman and explorer who accompanied Vasco da Gama on his historic voyage to India in 1498.

Another prominent bearer of the Silva surname was Feliciano de Silva, a 16th-century Spanish writer and playwright, known for his chivalric novel "Amadís de Grecia" (1530), which was a continuation of the popular "Amadís de Gaula" series.

In the 17th century, the surname gained international recognition with the exploits of Luís da Silva Telo, 1st Count of Aveiras (1613-1666), a Portuguese nobleman and military leader who served as Viceroy of India and Governor of Brazil.

As the centuries passed, the Silva surname spread across the globe, carried by Spanish and Portuguese explorers, colonizers, and immigrants. Today, it remains a prominent surname in many Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries, as well as in regions with significant Hispanic and Lusophone populations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Silva

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

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

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

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