2000
#64,572
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 288
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.11
Very Rare Last name
Sivilay
A surname derived from a place name, possibly related to the Sivil region of Cambodia.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 360 Americans carry the last name Sivilay. That puts it at #67,683 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 952,095 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sivilay 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
360
1 in 952,095
Census rank
#67,683
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
314
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 314 bearers of the surname Sivilay in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 67683rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sivilay, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and White (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sivilay
The surname SIVILAY is believed to have originated in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the region of Catalonia, during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from a combination of the Catalan words "siví" meaning "willow" and "llay" meaning "meadow" or "pasture," suggesting a connection to a place name or a descriptive surname referring to a willow meadow or pasture.
Historical records indicate that the name SIVILAY first appeared in the 12th century, with some of the earliest known instances found in municipal archives and land registries from the towns of Lleida and Tarragona. These early mentions suggest that the name was initially associated with landowners or peasants who resided near willow meadows or pastures.
One of the earliest documented bearers of the SIVILAY surname was Ramon SIVILAY, a wealthy landowner from the town of Valls, who lived during the late 13th century. His name is mentioned in several property deeds and legal documents from that time period.
In the 14th century, the SIVILAY name gained prominence when Joan SIVILAY, a skilled architect from Barcelona, was commissioned to design and construct several notable buildings, including the Church of Santa Maria del Mar and portions of the Palau Reial Major (Royal Palace) in the city.
During the 15th century, the SIVILAY family expanded their influence, with members holding various positions of power and authority. Notable figures included Bernat SIVILAY, a prominent merchant and diplomat who represented the Crown of Aragon in negotiations with the Republic of Genoa, and Elisabet SIVILAY, a respected scholar and writer who authored several works on Catalan literature and culture.
As the SIVILAY name spread beyond Catalonia, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Sivillay, Sibillay, and Sevillay, reflecting regional linguistic differences and scribal variations in record-keeping.
One of the most famous bearers of the SIVILAY surname was Francesc SIVILAY, a renowned explorer and navigator who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. Francesc SIVILAY played a crucial role in charting new territories and establishing early Spanish settlements in the Caribbean.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sivilay
Among Census respondents with the surname Sivilay, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and White (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Sivilay 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 Sivilay surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander89.5% · 281
- Two or more races5.1% · 16
- White2.9% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sivilay
Sivilay 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
#66,553
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 297
+9 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 1,981 places
2020
#67,683
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 314
+17 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Down 1,130 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #64,572 | 288 | 0.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #66,553 | 297 | 0.10 | +9 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 1,981 places |
| 2020 | #67,683 | 314 | 0.11 | +17 bearers (+5.7%) | Down 1,130 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 Sivilay 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 | #66,553 | #67,683 | -1.7% |
| Count | 297 | 314 | 5.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.11 | 5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sivilay bearers went from 297 to 314 (+5.7% change). The surname moved down 1,130 positions in the national ranking, going from #66,553 to #67,683.
FAQ
Sivilay surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sivilay?
Name Census estimates that about 360 living Americans carry the surname Sivilay. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 952,095 residents.
How common is Sivilay?
Sivilay ranks #67,683 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.11 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 314 people with the surname Sivilay. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (360), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.11 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 Sivilay.
Has Sivilay become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sivilay went from 297 recorded bearers to 314. That is an increase of 17 (+5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #66,553 to #67,683.
What does the Census say about the background of Sivilay?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sivilay, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and White (2.9%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sivilay in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.5% (281 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sivilay appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (89.5%), Two or More Races (5.1%), White (2.9%). 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 Sivilay (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 Sivilay mean?
A surname derived from a place name, possibly related to the Sivil region of Cambodia. 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 Sivilay (0.11 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 last name Sivilay?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Sivilay? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.