# Silvia (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/silvia/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | Latin |
| Type | not recorded |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 5,511 |
| US rank (2010) | 6,206 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 56,024 people |
| Change since 2000 | +1.7% (5,418 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈsɪlvi.ə/, 3 syllables |
| Variant spellings | Sylvia |

## Etymology

Feminine form of Silvius, from Latin silva (“forest”). In myths, Rhea Silvia was the mother of famous twins Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. 6th-century saint Silvia was the mother of the pope Gregory the Great.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Silvia in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 86% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 2.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 8.8% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.5% |
| Two or more races | 1.2% |

## Similar surnames

Silva, Sylvia, Silvey, Sylva, Sliva, Salva, Salvi, Self, Shelby, Selby, Scalf, Selph.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.