2000
#120,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Silverhorn
A surname suggesting a silversmith or someone who worked with silver.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Silverhorn. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Silverhorn 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Silverhorn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Silverhorn, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 65.8%. The next largest groups are White (22.5%) and Two or More Races (11.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Silverhorn
The surname "SILVERHORN" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is likely derived from a combination of the Old English words "seolfor," meaning silver, and "horn," referring to a horn-shaped object or musical instrument.
The earliest known record of the name dates back to the 13th century, when a Richard Silverhorn was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1268. This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with a silversmith or a craftsman who worked with silver and horn.
During the 14th century, the name appeared in various records, including the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, where a John Silverhorn was listed in 1279. This document recorded the names of landowners and tenants in the county at the time.
In the 15th century, the surname was found in the Records of the Honorable Society of Lincoln's Inn, where a Thomas Silverhorn was admitted as a member in 1487. Lincoln's Inn was one of the four Inns of Court responsible for legal education in London.
One notable bearer of the name was Sir William Silverhorn (1520-1589), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Gloucestershire. He served as the Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1562 and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I in 1568 for his services to the Crown.
Another significant figure was Lady Elizabeth Silverhorn (1645-1718), a philanthropist and patron of the arts from Wiltshire. She was known for her support of local churches and charitable causes, and her name can be found inscribed on several buildings and monuments in the region.
In the 18th century, Reverend John Silverhorn (1712-1782) was a prominent clergyman and scholar from Yorkshire. He authored several theological works and served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in York for over three decades.
The name "SILVERHORN" has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Silverhorn Manor in Oxfordshire, Silverhorn Grange in Warwickshire, and Silverhorn Hamlet in Gloucestershire. These locations may have been named after individuals bearing the surname or could have influenced the development of the name itself.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Silverhorn
Among Census respondents with the surname Silverhorn, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 65.8%. The next largest groups are White (22.5%) and Two or More Races (11.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Silverhorn 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 Silverhorn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- American Indian and Alaska Native65.8% · 79
- White22.5% · 27
- Two or more races11.7% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Silverhorn
Silverhorn 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
#119,508
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 145
+12 bearers (+9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 822 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-25 bearers (-17.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 22,541 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #120,330 | 133 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #119,508 | 145 | 0.05 | +12 bearers (+9.0%) | Up 822 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -25 bearers (-17.2%) | Down 22,541 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 Silverhorn 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 | #119,508 | #142,049 | -18.9% |
| Count | 145 | 120 | -17.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Silverhorn bearers went from 145 to 120 (-17.2% change). The surname moved down 22,541 positions in the national ranking, going from #119,508 to #142,049.
FAQ
Silverhorn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Silverhorn?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Silverhorn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Silverhorn?
Silverhorn ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Silverhorn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Silverhorn.
Has Silverhorn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Silverhorn went from 145 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 25 (-17.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #119,508 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Silverhorn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Silverhorn, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 65.8%. The next largest groups are White (22.5%) and Two or More Races (11.7%). 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?
American Indian/Alaska Native is the largest self-reported group for the surname Silverhorn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.8% (79 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Silverhorn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are American Indian/Alaska Native (65.8%), White (22.5%), Two or More Races (11.7%). 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 Silverhorn (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 Silverhorn mean?
A surname suggesting a silversmith or someone who worked with silver. 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 Silverhorn (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 many people have the surname Silverhorn?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.