2010
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sylvander
Of French origin, referring to a person from the forest or woods.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 112 Americans carry the last name Sylvander. That puts it at #156,269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,060,307 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sylvander 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
112
1 in 3,060,307
Census rank
#156,269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
98
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 98 bearers of the surname Sylvander in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sylvander, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sylvander
The surname SYLVANDER is of French origin, derived from the Latin word "silvanus" meaning "of the woods". It first appeared in the 12th century among families living in the forested regions of northeastern France, particularly in the areas around the modern-day departments of Marne and Ardennes.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a 1273 census of landowners in the village of Sylvandière, located near the town of Vitry-le-François. The name was likely a reference to the occupation of a forester or woodsman, as many early surnames were based on one's trade or place of residence.
During the Middle Ages, the spelling of the name varied considerably, with forms such as Silvander, Sylvandre, and Silvandir appearing in various records and manuscripts. A notable example is the mention of a "Jehan Sylvandre" in a 1487 legal document from the city of Reims.
By the 16th century, the name had spread to other parts of France, and variations like Sylvandier and Sylvandier began to emerge. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Pierre Sylvander, a merchant from Lyon who was born in 1532 and died in 1603.
In the 17th century, the name gained some prominence with the birth of Jean-Henri Sylvandre (1630-1697), a renowned French poet and playwright. His works, which included plays like "La Conquête de la Toison d'Or" and "L'Amour vainqueur", were widely acclaimed in literary circles of the time.
Other notable individuals with the surname SYLVANDER include:
1. Jacques Sylvandre (1678-1738), a French architect who designed several notable buildings in Paris, including the Chapelle de la Vierge at the Church of Saint-Sulpice.
2. Marie-Gabrielle Sylvandre (1712-1786), a French painter known for her portraits and religious scenes.
3. Henri-Jacques Sylvandre (1787-1845), a French military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and later served as a general in the French Army.
4. Émile Sylvandre (1857-1927), a French scientist and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early photography.
5. Renée Sylvandre (1901-1983), a French novelist and poet whose works explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition.
While the surname SYLVANDER has its roots in medieval France, it has since spread to other parts of the world, with bearers found in various countries, particularly those with historical ties to France.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sylvander
Among Census respondents with the surname Sylvander, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Sylvander 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 Sylvander surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 91
- Two or more races5.1% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sylvander
Sylvander appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#156,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 98
-13 bearers (-11.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 7,922 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #156,269 | 98 | 0.03 | -13 bearers (-11.7%) | Down 7,922 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 Sylvander 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 | #148,347 | #156,269 | -5.3% |
| Count | 111 | 98 | -11.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -18.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sylvander bearers went from 111 to 98 (-11.7% change). The surname moved down 7,922 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #156,269.
FAQ
Sylvander surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sylvander?
Name Census estimates that about 112 living Americans carry the surname Sylvander. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,060,307 residents.
How common is Sylvander?
Sylvander ranks #156,269 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 98 people with the surname Sylvander. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (112), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Sylvander.
Has Sylvander become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sylvander went from 111 recorded bearers to 98. That is a decrease of 13 (-11.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #156,269.
What does the Census say about the background of Sylvander?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sylvander, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Sylvander in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (91 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sylvander appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Two or More Races (5.1%), Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Sylvander (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 Sylvander mean?
Of French origin, referring to a person from the forest or woods. 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 Sylvander (0.03 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 Americans have the surname Sylvander?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.