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

Slyman, 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 Slyman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Slyman in America

Slyman is the 58182nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Slyman surname appeared 349 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 Slyman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Slyman 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 Slyman

The surname Slyman is of English origin, first appearing in records during the late 16th century. It is believed to be a variant spelling of the more common surname Silliman or Silliman, derived from the Old English words "syll" meaning "base" or "foundation" and "mann" meaning "man". This suggests the name may have originally referred to a person who lived near or worked on the foundation or base of a building or structure.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Slyman surname can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Dedham, Essex, where a John Slyman was listed as having been baptized in 1598. The name also appears in the records of the nearby village of Boxted, where a Thomas Slyman was recorded as a tenant farmer in 1612.

In the 17th century, the Slyman surname began to spread beyond its Essex origins, with records showing families bearing the name in other parts of England, such as Wiltshire and Gloucestershire. One notable early bearer of the name was Richard Slyman, a merchant from Bristol who was involved in the transatlantic trade with the American colonies in the late 1600s.

As the centuries progressed, the Slyman surname continued to be found in various parts of England, with some families adopting alternative spellings such as Sleyman or Slayman. In the 19th century, a prominent member of the family was Sir Robert Slyman (1812-1890), a successful businessman and philanthropist from Lancashire who was knighted for his charitable works.

Other noteworthy individuals with the Slyman surname include:

1. William Slyman (1765-1837), an English architect and surveyor who worked on several notable buildings in London.
2. Elizabeth Slyman (1826-1911), a British author and journalist who wrote extensively on women's rights and social reform.
3. James Slyman (1848-1923), a British explorer and naturalist who traveled extensively in Africa and contributed to the study of its flora and fauna.
4. Henry Slyman (1879-1954), an English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in the early 20th century.
5. Margaret Slyman (1906-1988), a British artist known for her landscape paintings and depictions of rural life in England.

While the Slyman surname may not be among the most common in English history, it has a rich legacy dating back several centuries and has been borne by individuals from diverse walks of life, from merchants and architects to authors and explorers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Slyman

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

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

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

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