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

Silvestre, 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 Silvestre surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Silvestre in America

Silvestre is the 9190th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Silvestre surname appeared 3,550 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 Silvestre.

We can also compare 2010 data for Silvestre 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 Silvestre

The surname Silvestre has its origins in Spain and Portugal, stemming from the Latin word "silvestris," meaning "of the woods" or "wild." This name likely emerged during the medieval period, referring to someone who lived in or near a forested area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Silvestre surname can be found in the 13th-century Catalonian manuscript "Llibre de Repartiment de València," which documented the names of individuals who settled in the region after the Reconquista. The name appeared in various spellings, such as "Silvestre" and "Selvestre."

In the 14th century, the Silvestre family held notable positions in the Kingdoms of Aragon and Valencia. Pedro Silvestre, born around 1320, was a prominent jurist and diplomat who served as an ambassador to the court of King Edward III of England.

During the 15th century, the Silvestre surname gained further recognition with the birth of Juan Silvestre, a renowned Valencian poet and scholar who lived from 1456 to 1521. His works, including the epic poem "El Canto de Turia," celebrated the beauty of the Valencian landscape and its people.

In the 16th century, the Silvestre name was associated with the Spanish conquest of the Americas. Diego Silvestre, born in 1520 in Seville, was a navigator and explorer who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expeditions to Mexico. He is credited with mapping several coastal regions of present-day Mexico and Central America.

The 17th century saw the rise of Gregorio Silvestre, a Spanish painter and engraver born in Madrid in 1620. His intricate engravings and religious paintings adorned numerous churches and monasteries throughout Spain, earning him recognition as a master of the Baroque style.

The Silvestre surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, scholars, and explorers, reflecting the diverse histories and cultures of Spain and Portugal. While the name has spread globally over the centuries, its origins remain deeply rooted in the Iberian Peninsula's rich linguistic and cultural heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Silvestre

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

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

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

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