Explore the Family Name Silvia
The meaning of Silvia
Italian (southern) and Portuguese: from the female personal name Silvia. According to classical legend, this was the name of the mother of the twins Romulus and Remus, founders of Rome. It was a very popular personal name among Christians throughout Europe, having been borne by the mother of Pope Gregory the Great, a saint in her own right. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Manuel, Jose, Ana, Perez, Alcina, Alfonso, Alicia, Almerinda, Alvarez, Angelina, Belmira, Carlos. Portuguese Agostinho, Joaquim.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Silvia in the United States?
According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Silvia saw a slight dip in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Silvia was ranked as the 5852nd most popular surname, but by 2010 it had dropped to the 6206th position, marking a 6.05% decrease in rank. However, the actual count of individuals bearing the surname increased slightly from 5,418 in 2000 to 5,511 in 2010. This signifies a growth of about 1.72%, despite its drop in ranking.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,852 | #6,206 | -6.05% |
| Count | 5,418 | 5,511 | 1.72% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.01 | 1.87 | -6.97% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Silvia
The same Decennial U.S. Census data shed light on the ethnic identity associated with the surname Silvia. Over the decade, there were noticeable shifts in the distribution of ethnicities. The proportion of those identified as White decreased marginally from 88.93% in 2000 to 86.43% in 2010. Simultaneously, the percentage of Hispanic individuals and Black individuals increased by 39.27% and 64.15% respectively, suggesting growing diversity within this surname group. Furthermore, the share of Asian/Pacific Islanders and American Indian and Alaskan Natives also showed an upward trend. However, there was a significant drop (-50.20%) in the proportion of individuals identifying with two or more races.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 88.93% | 86.43% | -2.81% |
| Hispanic | 6.29% | 8.76% | 39.27% |
| Black | 1.59% | 2.61% | 64.15% |
| Two or More Races | 2.45% | 1.22% | -50.2% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.33% | 0.51% | 54.55% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.41% | 0.47% | 14.63% |
Silvia ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Silvia is British & Irish, which comprises 35.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Spanish & Portuguese (34.8%) and French & German (13.0%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Scandinavian, Indigenous American, and Korean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 35.3% |
| Spanish & Portuguese | 34.8% |
| French & German | 13.0% |
| Other | 16.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Silvia
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 Silvia have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 67.70% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 67.70% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 67.70% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 66.90% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 66.20% |
What Silvia 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 Silvia is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-DF27 and I-M170, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Baptista, Muro, Laplante, Dutra, Barros, Viera, Moniz, Pedro, Rendon, Schaaf.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Silvia surname are: H1, N, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Silvia have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Silvia" Surname 44.0%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Silvia" Surname 22.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Silvia" Surname 21.8%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Silvia" Surname 23.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Silvia?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Silvia are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition