Explore the Family Name De Silva

Possible origins of the surname De Silva

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name De Silva have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in Sri Lanka, and India.

What De Silva haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname De Silva is J-M172, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup J-M172 is descended from haplogroup J-M304. Other common haplogroups include H-M69 and R-P311, which are predominantly found among people with Central & South Asian and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Fernando, Chandra, Perera, Choudhury, Krishnan, Rodrigues, Ansari, Zaman, Shaikh, Fernandes.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with De Silva surname are: M, H, R. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

Your paternal lineage may be linked to some of the first farmers

The first farmers in western Eurasia lived in the Fertile Crescent, a region of the Middle East stretching from the Nile Delta to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. With their new technology, they were able to live more sedentary lives, support larger populations, and build civilizations. They also began to move rapidly outwards from the Middle East. One of the earliest regions they expanded into was Armenia, a crossroads between the Middle East and northern Eurasia that was transformed into a fertile landscape at the end of the Ice Age. In addition to their culture, some of the men involved in this early migration carried haplogroup J-M172. In fact, their arrival in the region left genetic signatures that can still be seen in the J-M172 lineages found in Armenian men today, especially in Ararat Valley, Gardman, and Lake Van.

Your maternal lineage may be linked to the ancient people of the Indian subcontinent

While Haplogroup M is widespread throughout South and East Asia, it is more diverse on the Indian sub-continent than anywhere else in the world. The high degree of diversity of M in India is likely tied to its ancient arrival here nearly 50,000 years ago. In addition to M2, which is found throughout the subcontinent, there are dozens of haplogroups branching off of M that exist in India. These branches are often connected to specific regions, tribes, or ethnic groups. For example, haplogroup M18 is found among the Oraon peoples of eastern India and Bangladesh, while haplogroup M41 is common among the Pardhan speakers of eastern India, and haplogroup M31a can be found on the Andaman Islands, just off the southeast coast of India.