Explore the Family Name Selva
The meaning of Selva
Catalan and Italian: from any of various places in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands (Spain) or northern Italy named Selva, as for instance the Catalan district La Selva, from selva ‘wood’, Latin silva. This surname, of both possible origins, is also found in southern France. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Adolfo, Carlos, Ricardo, Ana, Argentina, Armando, Bayardo, Domingos, Eleazar, Florencio, Gustavo, Idalia. Italian Aldo, Angelo, Erminio, Giuseppe, Riccardo. French Eloi, Renaud.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Selva in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Selva showed a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Selva ranked 24,368th in terms of frequency among all surnames, but fell to 25,187th by 2010, representing a 3.36% drop. Despite this decrease in rank, the actual count of individuals bearing the surname increased from 963 to 984, a rise of 2.18%. However, the proportion per 100k people decreased by 8.33%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #24,368 | #25,187 | -3.36% |
| Count | 963 | 984 | 2.18% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.36 | 0.33 | -8.33% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Selva
The Decennial U.S. Census also provides insight into the ethnic identity associated with the Selva surname. The percentage of those identified as Asian/Pacific Islander significantly rose by 37.50%, from 3.84% in 2000 to 5.28% in 2010. On the other hand, the percentage of those who identify as White dropped by 11.59%, from 41.95% to 37.09%. Those identifying as Hispanic experienced a modest increase, moving from 52.13% to 55.28%, an increase of 6.04%. The group identifying as Black was not present in 2000, but appeared in 2010 at 1.32%. The categories of two or more races and American Indian and Alaskan Native saw no change, with the former disappearing entirely in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 52.13% | 55.28% | 6.04% |
| White | 41.95% | 37.09% | -11.59% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 3.84% | 5.28% | 37.5% |
| Black | 0% | 1.32% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 1.14% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |