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

Sivan, 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 Sivan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sivan in America

Sivan is the 159712th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sivan surname appeared 101 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 Sivan.

The history of the last name Sivan

The surname Sivan is of Hebrew origin, originating in the ancient Middle East region. It is derived from the Hebrew word "Siwan," which refers to the month of Sivan in the Hebrew calendar. This month falls between late May and late June in the Gregorian calendar.

Sivan is believed to have emerged as a surname among Jewish communities in the Middle East and Mediterranean regions during the medieval period. It was likely adopted by families who lived in areas where the Hebrew calendar and language played a significant role in daily life.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Sivan can be found in the Cairo Geniza, a collection of Jewish manuscripts dating back to the 11th century. These documents contain references to individuals bearing the surname Sivan, suggesting its use in the Jewish communities of the Middle East during that time.

In the 13th century, the renowned Jewish philosopher and scholar, Moses ben Maimon, better known as Maimonides (1135-1204), mentioned individuals with the surname Sivan in his writings. This indicates the presence of families bearing this name in the Jewish communities of Spain and North Africa.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Sivan surname is found in various Jewish community records across Europe and the Ottoman Empire. Notable individuals with this surname include Rabbi Shlomo Sivan (1520-1587), a prominent Talmudic scholar and author from Salonica (present-day Thessaloniki, Greece).

In the late 19th century, the Sivan surname gained recognition with the birth of Abraham Hirsch Sivan (1859-1933), a prominent Zionist leader and Hebrew scholar from Vilnius, Lithuania. He played a significant role in the early years of the Zionist movement and the revival of the Hebrew language.

Other notable individuals with the surname Sivan include Yosef Sivan (1890-1972), an Israeli politician and Knesset member, and Eyal Sivan (born 1964), an Israeli filmmaker and documentary director known for his critically acclaimed works exploring political and social themes.

While the surname Sivan has its roots in the ancient Hebrew language and culture, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by Jewish communities and individuals who have emigrated from the Middle East and other regions over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sivan

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

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 Sivan 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.

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

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

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