2000
#8,084
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,777
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.40
Rare Last name
Silvey
A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "at the wood or grove" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,183 Americans carry the last name Silvey. That puts it at #8,632 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 81,940 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Silvey 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Silvey with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.2K
1 in 81,940
Census rank
#8,632
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,648 bearers of the surname Silvey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8632nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Silvey, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Silvey
The surname Silvey is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "silvie," which means "from the woods." This name can be traced back to the Middle Ages, when it was likely used to identify individuals who lived in or near a wooded area.
The earliest known record of the name Silvey appears in the Domesday Book, a manuscript compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. This document mentions a landowner named Robert de Silvey, who held estates in the county of Lincolnshire.
Throughout the centuries, the name Silvey has been spelled in various ways, including Silvie, Silvy, and Silveye. Some of these variations may have been influenced by the Old English word "sylfe," meaning "wooded area" or "forest."
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Silvey was John Silvey, born around 1450 in the village of Worksop, Nottinghamshire. He was a farmer and landowner, and his name appears in local parish records from that time.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named William Silvey (1525-1589) was a merchant and alderman in the city of London. He played a significant role in the city's governance and was involved in trade with the Netherlands and other European countries.
During the English Civil War in the 17th century, a soldier named Thomas Silvey (1620-1679) fought for the Parliamentarian forces. He participated in several battles and is mentioned in contemporary accounts of the conflict.
In the 18th century, a prominent individual with the surname Silvey was Elizabeth Silvey (1735-1812), a writer and poet from the town of Stratford-upon-Avon. Her works were published in local journals and anthologies, and she was renowned for her eloquence and literary talent.
Another notable figure was Sir Richard Silvey (1790-1865), a British naval officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars. He rose through the ranks and was eventually knighted for his distinguished service to the Royal Navy.
Over time, the surname Silvey has spread across various regions of England, as well as to other parts of the world through emigration. While it is not among the most common surnames, it continues to hold a significant place in the history and heritage of England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Silvey
Among Census respondents with the surname Silvey, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Silvey 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 Silvey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 3,228
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 166
- Two or more races3.8% · 140
- Black or African American1.9% · 69
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 24
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Silvey
Silvey 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
#8,651
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,798
+21 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 1.29
Rank movement Down 567 places
2020
#8,632
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,648
-150 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 1.22
Rank movement Up 19 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,084 | 3,777 | 1.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,651 | 3,798 | 1.29 | +21 bearers (+0.6%) | Down 567 places |
| 2020 | #8,632 | 3,648 | 1.22 | -150 bearers (-3.9%) | Up 19 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 Silvey 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 | #8,651 | #8,632 | 0.2% |
| Count | 3,798 | 3,648 | -3.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.29 | 1.22 | -5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Silvey bearers went from 3,798 to 3,648 (-3.9% change). The surname moved up 19 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,651 to #8,632.
FAQ
Silvey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Silvey?
Name Census estimates that about 4,183 living Americans carry the surname Silvey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 81,940 residents.
How common is Silvey?
Silvey ranks #8,632 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.22 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,648 people with the surname Silvey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,183), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.22 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Silvey.
Has Silvey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Silvey went from 3,798 recorded bearers to 3,648. That is a decrease of 150 (-3.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,651 to #8,632.
What does the Census say about the background of Silvey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Silvey, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Silvey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (3,228 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Silvey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Hispanic (4.6%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Silvey (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 Silvey mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "at the wood or grove" in Old English. 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 Silvey (1.22 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 Silvey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.