Sylve last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Sylve

A locational surname derived from the French place name Sylvé.

Sylve, 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 Sylve surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sylve in America

Sylve is the 27534th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sylve surname appeared 875 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 Sylve.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sylve 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 27534 32703 -17.16%
Count 875 662 27.72%
Proportion per 100k 0.30 0.25 18.18%

The history of the last name Sylve

The surname SYLVE is believed to have originated in France, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "sylve," which means "forest" or "wooded area." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with people who lived or worked in forested regions.

One of the earliest known mentions of the SYLVE surname can be found in a document from the year 1195, which refers to a person named Renaud de Sylve in the region of Normandy. This region was known for its vast woodlands, further supporting the connection between the name and forested areas.

In the 13th century, variations of the name, such as "Sylvain" and "Sylvestre," appeared in various records across different regions of France. These variations were likely influenced by the Latin word "silva," which also means "forest" or "woods."

The SYLVE surname gained prominence in the 15th century, with several notable individuals bearing the name. One such person was Jean de Sylve, a French nobleman who served as a military commander during the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453). He was born in 1412 and died in 1479.

Another prominent figure was Pierre de Sylve, a French poet and Renaissance humanist who lived from 1505 to 1570. He was known for his literary works and his contributions to the study of classical literature.

In the 17th century, the SYLVE surname was associated with a family of French nobility. One member, Louis de Sylve, was a prominent military leader who fought in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). He was born in 1595 and died in 1661.

During the 18th century, the SYLVE surname spread to other parts of Europe, including Belgium and Germany. In Belgium, a notable figure was Jean-Baptiste de Sylve, a painter and engraver who lived from 1713 to 1789.

In the 19th century, the name gained recognition in the United States, with several individuals bearing the SYLVE surname making significant contributions. One such person was Charles Sylve, a French-American artist and sculptor who lived from 1821 to 1885. He is known for his works depicting scenes from American history and Native American life.

Throughout its history, the SYLVE surname has maintained a strong connection to its origins, reflecting the forested landscapes and natural environments that likely influenced its development.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sylve

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

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 Sylve was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 16.34% 143
Non-Hispanic Black Only 69.71% 610
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 6.40% 56
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 5.03% 44
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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 Sylve has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 16.34% 16.16% 1.11%
Black 69.71% 66.47% 4.76%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 6.40% 8.61% -29.45%
Two or More Races 5.03% 5.59% -10.55%
Hispanic (S)% (S)% (S)%

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

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

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"Sylve last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/sylve-surname-popularity/.

"Sylve last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/sylve-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Sylve last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/sylve-surname-popularity/.

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