Explore the Family Name Sylvain
The meaning of Sylvain
French and West Indian (mainly Haiti): from the French personal name Sylvain, from Latin Silvanus (a derivative of silva ‘forest, wood’), bestowed in honor of various minor early Christian saints. This surname is most common in Haiti. History: Pierre Sylvain dit Larosée from Saintes in Charente-Maritime, France, married Jeanne Périllard in Montreal, QC, in 1720. — In North America, this surname was originally also a secondary surname or dit (‘also called’) name, borne by Pierre Veau dit Sylvain (a son of Sylvain Veau from Valençay in Indre, France), who married Catherine Racine in Beaupré, QC, in 1722. Some characteristic forenames: French/Haitian Emile, Fernand, Jacques, Michel, Pierre, Andre, Armand, Benoit, Fernande, Francois, Gardy, Germain.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Sylvain in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Sylvain has seen an increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Sylvain ranked 15,710th in terms of popularity, but by 2010 it had risen to 14,050th—a change of over 10%. Similarly, the count of people with this surname grew from 1,707 in 2000 to 2,143 in 2010, representing a significant increase of 25.54%. The proportion of individuals named Sylvain per 100,000 people also increased by approximately 16%, from 0.63 in 2000 to 0.73 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #15,710 | #14,050 | 10.57% |
| Count | 1,707 | 2,143 | 25.54% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.63 | 0.73 | 15.87% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Sylvain
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Sylvain has also shifted somewhat from 2000 to 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census. While the percentage of Sylvains identifying as White decreased by 20.36% during this period, those identifying as Black saw an increase of 24.39%. Meanwhile, those identifying as Hispanic witnessed a slight increase of 25.82%. The category of "Two or more races" experienced a decrease of over 50%. Interestingly, there were no individuals with the surname Sylvain identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native in 2000; however, by 2010, these groups made up 0.47% and 0.33% of Sylvains, respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 47.57% | 59.17% | 24.39% |
| White | 43.82% | 34.9% | -20.36% |
| Two or More Races | 6.21% | 2.85% | -54.11% |
| Hispanic | 1.82% | 2.29% | 25.82% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.47% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.33% | 0% |