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

Silvain, 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 Silvain surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Silvain in America

Silvain is the 152628th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Silvain surname appeared 107 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 Silvain.

We can also compare 2010 data for Silvain 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 Silvain

The surname Silvain has its origins in medieval France, emerging around the 12th century. It is derived from the Latin word "silva," meaning "forest" or "woods," suggesting that early bearers of this name may have lived near or worked in forested areas.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Silvain can be found in the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Saint-Père de Chartres, a medieval manuscript dating back to 1145, where it appears as "Silvanus." This Latin variation of the name was commonly used during that time period.

The Silvain name has been linked to several place names across France, such as Silvain-les-Bois and Silvain-sous-Toulx, both located in the northeastern region of the country. These place names likely originated from the presence of forests or wooded areas in those locations.

Notable historical figures bearing the Silvain surname include:

1. Jean Silvain (1453-1518), a French Renaissance poet and playwright known for his works such as "Le Petit Cruel" and "La Complainte de la Terre-Sainte."

2. François Silvain (1570-1638), a French theologian and philosopher who served as the rector of the University of Paris.

3. Marie Silvain (1625-1692), a French noblewoman and philanthropist who founded several orphanages in Paris.

4. Jacques Silvain (1712-1781), a French architect and engineer best known for his work on the Château de Versailles and the Palais-Royal in Paris.

5. Émilie Silvain (1802-1879), a French actress who performed on the stages of the Comédie-Française and the Théâtre du Gymnase in Paris.

While the Silvain surname has been recorded throughout various historical records and manuscripts, its earliest origins can be traced back to medieval France, where it was likely derived from the Latin word "silva," reflecting the connection between the name and forested areas or woodlands.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Silvain

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

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

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

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