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Silva Family History

Silva Surname Meaning

Portuguese, Galician and Italian: habitational name from any of the many places called Silva in Portugal, Galicia (Spain), and Italy, or a topographic name from (Old) Portuguese and (Old) Galician silva ‘wood’, later ‘bramble’. Compare Da Silva and Silba.

Jewish (Sephardic): adoption of the Iberian surname (see 1 above) at the moment of conversion to Roman Catholicism. After the return to Judaism (generations later), some descendants retained the name their families used as Catholics.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Silva family from?

You can see how Silva families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Silva family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Silva families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 30 Silva families living in London. This was about 31% of all the recorded Silva's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Silva families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Silva surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Silva ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Student and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Silva. 50% of Silva men worked as a Student and 82% of Silva women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Silva were Carpenter and Office Cleaner.

View Census Data for Silva | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • Student
    50%
  • Carpenter
    50%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    82%
  • Private Means
    7%
  • Dressmaker
    5%
  • Office Cleaner
    5%

What Silva family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 183,000 census records available for the last name Silva. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Silva census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Silva

Passenger Lists

There are 129,000 immigration records available for the last name Silva. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Silva immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 29,000 military records available for the last name Silva. For the veterans among your Silva ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Silva military records

You've only scratched the surface of Silva family history

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What is the average Silva lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Silva life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Silva in 1941 was 46, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Silva

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Silva ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Silva family tree

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