Explore the Family Name Sylva
The meaning of Sylva
Altered form of Portuguese, Galician, and Italian Silva. Outside the US this surname is most common in Senegal and the Gambia, where it is of Portuguese origin. Some characteristic forenames: French Alain, Fernande, Mathieu.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Sylva in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Sylva has seen a slight decline in the United States over the past decade. In 2000, it ranked 14,792 in terms of popularity and held a count of 1,841 bearers. By 2010, its rank slipped to 15,864 with a minor drop in count to 1834 individuals holding the name. This indicates a change of -7.25 in rank and -0.38 in count, thus suggesting a decrease in the use of this surname.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #14,792 | #15,864 | -7.25% |
| Count | 1,841 | 1,834 | -0.38% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.68 | 0.62 | -8.82% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Sylva
In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some shifts occurring within the population bearing the surname Sylva between 2000 and 2010. The White ethnicity group saw a slight decrease from 42.10% to 40.29%. Meanwhile, there was a rise in the percentage of those identifying as Two or More Races (from 11.41% to 12.81%), Hispanic (from 27.10% to 28.79%), and Black (from 11.08% to 11.67%). However, the Asian/Pacific Islander category witnessed a decrease from 6.79% to 6.05%, and the American Indian and Alaskan Native category dropped significantly from 1.52% to 0.38%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 42.1% | 40.29% | -4.3% |
| Hispanic | 27.1% | 28.79% | 6.24% |
| Two or More Races | 11.41% | 12.81% | 12.27% |
| Black | 11.08% | 11.67% | 5.32% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 6.79% | 6.05% | -10.9% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.52% | 0.38% | -75% |