Silver Surname

9,873rd
Most Common
surname in the World

Approximately 57,022 people bear this surname

Most prevalent in:
United States
Highest density in:
Canada

Silver Surname Definition:

This surname is not uncommon in the M'earns, and is an old one in the parish of Fetteresso. John Syllar was tenant of the garden of the Hospital of Dundee, 1464 (Cupar-Angus, I, p. 147). James Silvir, "succentor Glasguensi," appears as witness in 1497 (REG.

Read More About This Surname

Silver Surname Distribution Map

PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States34,6801:10,4521,274
England4,2511:13,1071,937
Canada3,7691:9,7761,464
Nigeria2,0571:86,1176,043
Australia2,0051:13,4641,934
Egypt1,2511:73,4906,720
Malawi9411:18,1922,844
South Africa9281:58,3817,398
Saudi Arabia7951:38,8125,622
Bangladesh6311:252,5467,887
Zimbabwe5171:29,8614,590
Ghana4851:55,7135,980
Morocco4771:72,27712,260
India3881:1,976,97368,062
Scotland3311:16,1751,995
Sweden2461:40,0273,192
Finland2181:25,2143,469
New Zealand2161:20,9643,677
Brazil1861:1,150,93740,026
France1761:377,40256,030
Wales1601:19,3412,064
Dominican Republic1461:71,4583,346
Mexico1401:886,61612,288
Tanzania1341:395,08728,090
Iran1271:604,58733,553
Botswana1051:20,8284,170
Netherlands981:172,31824,957
Portugal941:110,8325,195
Uganda801:487,99128,240
Singapore771:71,5292,869
Kenya761:607,63028,249
Ireland681:69,2494,373
Germany681:1,183,90477,258
Kuwait671:56,7276,926
China621:22,053,5741,221
Estonia501:26,4364,834
Thailand501:1,412,767195,138
DR Congo481:1,539,15886,567
Spain441:1,062,54638,570
Italy391:1,568,12082,279
Afghanistan381:846,1368,622
Argentina381:1,124,82767,975
Malaysia381:776,16436,096
Ecuador361:441,82910,328
Indonesia361:3,673,589193,360
Namibia341:70,8657,497
Philippines311:3,265,749145,701
Rwanda251:454,5991,711
Pakistan231:7,767,12541,967
Denmark191:297,09021,940
Greece191:583,14770,237
Belgium171:676,27358,718
Hong Kong161:458,4683,288
Taiwan161:1,465,2979,806
Israel141:611,26042,949
Japan141:9,131,73544,780
Switzerland141:586,63740,624
Turkey141:5,558,673112,907
Algeria131:2,971,65845,332
Uruguay131:263,98118,914
Papua New Guinea121:679,47678,554
United Arab Emirates121:763,52325,625
Norway111:467,48139,375
Bahrain91:149,8455,469
Mozambique91:3,029,0632,946
Sri Lanka91:2,312,0629,186
Sudan91:4,167,7995,799
Vietnam81:11,580,7572,851
Cameroon71:2,967,010123,373
Croatia71:604,08640,820
Jamaica71:409,9929,090
United States Virgin Islands71:15,7682,111
Chile61:2,936,07935,997
Qatar61:393,00055,922
Venezuela61:5,034,01343,431
Syria51:3,860,20411,832
Northern Ireland41:461,25916,615
Angola41:6,747,3046,999
Bolivia41:2,654,1087,945
Bulgaria41:1,744,72646,837
Colombia41:11,943,51826,735
Jordan41:2,210,60920,372
Lebanon41:1,409,27119,641
Myanmar41:12,984,4961,309
Poland41:9,502,187181,606
Puerto Rico41:887,5354,548
South Korea41:12,810,0642,073
Togo41:1,811,9428,122
Tunisia41:152,65617,743
Bosnia and Herzegovina31:1,178,80115,876
Cambodia31:5,162,38210,688
Czechia31:3,544,490144,714
Haiti31:3,561,30220,668
Iceland31:126,6975,403
Jersey31:33,0674,675
Lithuania31:1,011,52932,308
Maldives31:134,7244,057
Peru31:10,594,70845,902
Yemen31:8,808,43135,773
Zambia31:5,283,30743,479
Albania21:1,457,02824,967
Austria21:4,257,71899,224
Belize21:177,7373,502
Brunei21:209,3663,098
Costa Rica21:2,390,03410,205
Cyprus21:442,4389,493
Hungary21:4,908,13864,617
Kazakhstan21:8,841,248174,813
Latvia21:1,025,02341,546
Mauritania21:2,047,43230,537
Nicaragua21:3,010,5457,383
Serbia21:3,572,47432,645
Slovenia21:1,243,83827,519
Armenia11:2,930,18022,770
Aruba11:103,4772,586
Bahamas11:391,7512,737
Bhutan11:616,0391,715
British Virgin Islands11:31,5941,029
Burundi11:9,804,8522,349
Cape Verde11:529,6426,792
Chad11:13,592,19913,092
Cuba11:11,522,71617,380
Curaçao11:157,2471,313
Equatorial Guinea11:1,135,674984
Gambia11:1,923,4511,043
Georgia11:3,745,54547,852
Guam11:160,1214,893
Guernsey11:64,4392,137
Ivory Coast11:23,071,23276,679
Liberia11:4,408,53547,110
Madagascar11:23,649,8379,420
Malta11:430,2723,380
Mauritius11:1,293,41716,552
Moldova11:3,561,36878,271
Nepal11:28,480,95622,413
Oman11:3,687,97114,390
Panama11:3,912,25817,195
Paraguay11:7,236,74616,511
Romania11:20,077,87089,414
Russia11:144,123,056881,408
San Marino11:33,214932
Senegal11:14,579,34211,705
Solomon Islands11:580,02922,243
Swaziland11:1,298,1991,718
Trinidad and Tobago11:1,363,97522,013
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
Ireland401:110,7476,785
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
England1,3271:18,3692,649
Scotland3781:9,9031,260
Wales181:87,1343,963
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States2,9141:17,2342,189

The alternate forms: Sílver (1) are calculated separately.

Silver (50,836) may also be a first name.

Silver Surname Meaning

From Where Does The Surname Originate? meaning and history

This surname is not uncommon in the M'earns, and is an old one in the parish of Fetteresso. John Syllar was tenant of the garden of the Hospital of Dundee, 1464 (Cupar-Angus, I, p. 147). James Silvir, "succentor Glasguensi," appears as witness in 1497 (REG., p. 496), and may be James Siluer, rector of Durisdere, 1504 (Simon, 92). William Silver de Stobo was a charter witness, 1506 (REG., 485), and another William Siluer or Silwer was a cleric in Aberdeen, 1540, and chaplain of Folaroull, 1546 (REA., II, p. 113; I, p. 431). The name Silver on a tomb in the Calton cemetery, Edinburgh, near the Stevenson 'lair' probably suggested to Robert Louis Stevenson the surname of his 'Long John Silver' in Treasure Island.

The Surnames of Scotland (1946) by George Fraser Black (1866-1948)

(English, German) One who came from locality of that name; dweller near one of various streams in England with that name because of their clea and sparkling water; an Anglicization of Silber, q.v.

Dictionary of American Family Names (1956) by Elsdon Coles Smith

Probably an old personal name. It corresponds with the German Silber. Ferguson.

Patronymica Britannica (1860) by Mark Antony Lower

(English), Silver. (variant: Zilver.) Silvertop, White head?

Surnames (1857) by Bernard Homer Dixon

From the Old Norse, Silfra; nickname from the Danish, Silfver; from the Dutch, Silva; from the Flemish, Silver; a personal name.

British Family Names: Their Origin and Meaning (1903) by Henry Barber

User-submitted Reference

This surname is mainly English, Scottish, German, and Hebrew. Of pre-7th century origins, it has at least three distinct possible sources. Firstly it may be a metonymic occupational name for a silversmith, the derivation being from the Anglo-Saxon word "seolfar" meaning silver. Secondly it may originate as a nickname for a rich man, one who had a lot of silver, thirdly it may be locational from places on watersides where the water itself gave a silvery appearance. Examples of these places include the village of Silverley in Cumbria or Silverdale in Lancashire. Early examples of the surname recordings include: Radolfus Silberer of Oberschwaben, Germany, in 1249, whilst Thomas atte Selure, and Thomas del Silvere were both recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of the county of Worcestershire in 1327 and 1332 respectively. James Silvir was a witness of the Great Seal of Scotland in 1497, and William Silver de Stobo was a charter witness in 1506. Tradition holds that the surname Silver inscribed on a tomb in the Calton cemetery, Edinburgh, suggested to Robert Louis Stevenson the name of Long John Silver in the famous book "Treasure Island". The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Lucas Siluer, which was dated 1205, in the "Book of Seals" for Lincolnshire", during the reign of King John, of England, 1199 - 1216. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop," often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

- classyemu

Often an anglicized version of common Portuguese surnames Silva, Sylva, de Silva, and de Sylva.

- jeffsilvers

Silvere comes from the Latin word, silva, meaning 'forest'.

- silvere

Silver is an Anglocised variant of "Silverstein".

- joel88

Silver Last Name Facts

Where Does The Last Name Silver Come From? nationality or country of origin

Silver (Arabic: سيلفر, Hassaniya-Arabic: ﺳﻴﻠﻔﻴﺮ, Marathi: वेर) is found most in The United States. It can appear as: Sílver. Click here to see other possible spellings of this surname.

How Common Is The Last Name Silver? popularity and diffusion

It is the 9,873rd most frequent family name on a global scale It is held by around 1 in 127,802 people. The surname is predominantly found in The Americas, where 58 percent of Silver are found; 57 percent are found in North America and 57 percent are found in Anglo-North America. It is also the 18,260th most widespread first name at a global level. It is borne by 50,836 people.

The surname Silver is most frequently held in The United States, where it is borne by 34,680 people, or 1 in 10,452. In The United States Silver is most numerous in: California, where 13 percent are found, Florida, where 8 percent are found and North Carolina, where 8 percent are found. Outside of The United States this last name exists in 144 countries. It also occurs in England, where 7 percent are found and Canada, where 7 percent are found.

Silver Family Population Trend historical fluctuation

The incidence of Silver has changed over time. In The United States the share of the population with the last name grew 1,190 percent between 1880 and 2014; in England it grew 320 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Scotland it decreased 12 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Wales it grew 889 percent between 1881 and 2014 and in Ireland it grew 170 percent between 1901 and 2014.

Silver Last Name Statistics demography

The religious adherence of those bearing the Silver last name is predominantly Catholic (80%) in Ireland, Christian (100%) in Kenya and Muslim (58%) in Nigeria.

In The United States those bearing the Silver last name are 39.15% more likely to be registered Democrats than the national average, with 92.38% registered with the political party.

The amount Silver earn in different countries varies greatly. In Norway they earn 110.21% more than the national average, earning 727,500 kr per year; in South Africa they earn 77.05% more than the national average, earning R 420,732 per year; in Colombia they earn 20.23% less than the national average, earning $18,108,800 COP per year; in United States they earn 14.02% more than the national average, earning $49,200 USD per year and in Canada they earn 20.94% more than the national average, earning $60,086 CAD per year.

Phonetically Similar Names

SurnameSimilarityWorldwide IncidencePrevalency
Sílver941/
Silvert921,123/
Silvere92138/
Silverå9228/
Silveir9223/
Shilver9215/
Silvear9214/
Silvier927/
Silever924/
Sielver923/
Suilver923/
Silveer922/
Silvher922/
Silverd922/
Silverz921/
Seilver920/
Silve911,898/
Silveire863/
Silvesre862/
Silvhesr861/
Schilver861/
Silveyrr861/
Silvey836,452/
Sylver831,885/
Silvee831,084/
Selver83894/
Silves83439/
Silvie83420/
Gilver83123/
Zilver83113/
Silvea8381/
Silvet8379/
Cilver8314/
Shilve834/
Jilver834/
Silved834/
Sileve834/
Slever833/
Silvir832/
Silvei832/
Sailve831/
Silvej831/
Silevhere8014/
Silverova804/
Silvesrre801/
Sylvere77828/
Chilver77717/
Silvest77609/
Shelver77528/
Gilvear77334/
Sylvert77216/
Sileber77119/
Selvert7724/
Silvett7723/
Gilvert7721/
Silvhed7715/
Silvesh7713/
Silvesd7713/
Silvetz778/
Silvère778/
Silvair775/
Cilvert774/
Silveas772/
Saylver772/
Zilvert772/
Zilvere772/
Silvior772/
Sylveer772/
Silveys771/
Gilverd771/
Shilber771/
Silvess771/
Silvajr771/
Selvere771/
Sielvie771/
Silvets771/
Sielves771/
Seilvey770/
Silleve770/
Cuilver770/
Silveirová751/
Silva735,875,328/
Silvi733,668/
Silvy733,175/
Sylve731,008/
Selve73630/
Cilve7390/
Silvá735/
Sälve734/
Zilve732/
Silvj731/
Silvä731/
Shilbert7128/
Schelver7125/
Chilvere7122/
Chilverd716/
Seilbert712/
Schlever711/
Silvhesh711/
Silvhest711/
Shielber711/
Sellever711/
Shelvier711/
Szilveaz711/
Seilbehr710/
Chilvert710/
Gillever710/
Silvio674,132/
Silvis672,754/
Selvey672,243/
Selves67839/
Gelver67419/
Selvie67214/
Sylves67213/
Cilvez67186/
Silvay67154/
Shilue67131/
Sielva67124/
Silvaa67120/
Shilvi67117/
Selvet67114/
Silvoy6780/
Šelver6773/
Chilve6765/
Sailva6759/
Selvez6753/
Zelver6740/
Sailvi6722/
Sielvy6722/
Selverova6721/
Silvha6720/
Silvai6719/
Celver6718/
Selvee6718/
Jelver6716/
Sielvi6714/
Ssilva6713/
Shilva679/
Silvaj679/
Sylvee677/
Suilva676/
Selvir675/
Sylvey675/
Shelve675/
Sylvet675/
Selvei674/
Seilva674/
Silvid673/
Zylver673/
Silvhi672/
Silewe672/
Shilvy672/
Selveu672/
Ċsilva672/
Sealve672/
Sylvér672/
Cilves672/
Sislvy671/
Silvys671/
Shylve671/
Syleve671/
Soilva671/
Hsilva671/
Shilwe671/
Shilbe671/
Silvit671/
Silevy671/
Silvyo671/
Seilvi671/
Sailwe671/
Silhva671/
Silvoa671/
Selvea670/
Schelvert670/

Silver Name Transliterations

TransliterationICU LatinPercentage of Incidence
Silver in the Hassaniya-Arabic language
ﺳﻴﻠﻔﻴﺮsylfyr-
Silver in the Marathi language
वेरvera-
Silver in the Arabic language
سيلفرsylfr-
سيلفيرsylfyr-

Search for Another Surname

Silver Reference & Research

Silver / Serebryany FamilyTree DNA Project - A description of a group researching the paternal lines of men who bear the surname with the help of DNA analysis.

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Footnotes

  • Surnames are taken as the first part of an person's inherited family name, caste, clan name or in some cases patronymic
  • Descriptions may contain details on the name's etymology, origin, ethnicity and history. They are largely reproduced from 3rd party sources; diligence is advised on accepting their validity - more information
  • Name distribution statistics are generated from a global database of over 4 billion people - more information
  • Heatmap: Dark red means there is a higher occurrence of the name, transitioning to light yellow signifies a progressively lower occurrence. Clicking on selected countries will show mapping at a regional level
  • Rank: Name are ranked by incidence using the ordinal ranking method; the name that occurs the most is assigned a rank of 1; name that occur less frequently receive an incremented rank; if two or more name occur the same number of times they are assigned the same rank and successive rank is incremented by the total preceeding names
  • Ethnic group cannot necessarily be determined by geographic occurrence
  • Similar: Names listed in the "Similar" section are phonetically similar and may not have any relation to Silver
  • To find out more about this surname's family history, lookup records on Family​Search, My​Heritage, FindMyPast and Ancestry. Further information may be obtained by DNA analysis