Show ContentsSilverman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The English surname Silverman is of several distinct origins. Firstly, it is derived from the Old English "silfor," meaning "silversmith"; in this instance, the progenitor of the name would have been someone who practiced this profession. 1

Alternatively, the name may be derived from the Old English "seolfre," meaning "silvery stream," and would in this case refer to someone who lived by such a stream. 2

Early Origins of the Silverman family

The surname Silverman was first found in Lincolnshire where the Book of Seals recorded Lucas Siluer in 1205 during the reign of King John, of England (1199-1216.) Later in Yorkshire, the Subsidy Rolls recorded John Siluer in 1301. Robert Silverhewer was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for Yorkshire in 1212 and William Sylverour was a Freeman Of York in 1417. Thomas atte Selure (1327) and Thomas del Silvere (1332) were both recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire. 3

Up north in Scotland, "John Syllar was tenant of the garden of the Hospital of Dundee, 1464. James Silvir, "succentor Glasguensi," appears as witness in 1497, and may be James Siluer, rector of Durisdere, 1504. William Silver de Stobo was a charter witness, 1506, and another William Siluer or Silwer was a cleric in Aberdeen, 1540, and chaplain of Folaroull, 1546. 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." 4

Early History of the Silverman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Silverman research. Another 139 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1350, 1464, 1504, 1560, 1599, 1620 and 1700 are included under the topic Early Silverman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Silverman Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Silver, Silvar, Silber, Silvers, Silvars, Silvia, Sylvia and many more.

Early Notables of the Silverman family

Distinguished members of the family include Sir Batholemew Silver, who was seated in Hertfordshire about 1350; Alexander Silver, a wealthy East India trader from Aberdeenshire, Scotland in the 1700s; and George Silver (c.1560s-1620s), an English gentleman...
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Silverman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Silverman Ranking

In the United States, the name Silverman is the 2,504th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 5


United States Silverman migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Silverman Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • J Silverman, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 6
  • Charles Silverman, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1868 6
  • Louis Silverman, who landed in Arkansas in 1877 6
  • Victor Silverman, who arrived in Colorado in 1893 6
Silverman Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Hymann Silverman, who landed in Arkansas in 1902 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Silverman (post 1700) +

  • Stephen Meredith Silverman (1951-2023), American biographer, journalist, editor and chief entertainment correspondent for the New York Post from 1977 to 1988
  • Syd Silverman (1932-2017), American owner and publisher of Variety magazine, grandson of Sime Silverman
  • Sime Silverman (1873-1933), American newspaper publisher who founded Variety in 1905
  • Herschel Silverman (1926-2015), American "Beat" poet
  • Laura Jane Silverman (b. 1966), American actress/voice actress
  • Abraham George Silverman (1900-1973), American mathematician and statistician, member of the Soviet Ware Group
  • David "Dave" Silverman (b. 1966), American current president of the American Atheists
  • Belle Miriam Silverman (1929-2007), birth name of Beverly Sills, an American operatic soprano
  • Barry G. Silverman (b. 1951), American federal judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • Jonathan Silverman (b. 1966), American actor, best known for his role in Weekend at Bernie's and its sequel Weekend at Bernie's II
  • ... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Flight TWA 800
  • Miss. Jamie Lauren Silverman (1981-1996), from Bel-Air, Los Angeles, California, USA, American passenger with family flying aboard flight TWA 800 from J.F.K. Airport, New York to Leonardo da Vinci Airport, Rome when the plane crashed after takeoff ; she died in the crash 7
  • Mr. Eugene David Silverman (1942-1996), from Bel-Air, Los Angeles, California, USA, American tax attorney flying aboard flight TWA 800 from J.F.K. Airport, New York to Leonardo da Vinci Airport, Rome when the plane crashed after takeoff ; he died in the crash 7
  • Mrs. Marietta Ann Silverman (1943-1996), from Bel-Air, Los Angeles, California, USA, American passenger with family flying aboard flight TWA 800 from J.F.K. Airport, New York to Leonardo da Vinci Airport, Rome when the plane crashed after takeoff ; she died in the crash 7
  • Miss. Candace Beth Silverman (1974-1996), from Bel-Air, Los Angeles, California, USA, American passenger with family flying aboard flight TWA 800 from J.F.K. Airport, New York to Leonardo da Vinci Airport, Rome when the plane crashed after takeoff ; she died in the crash 7


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  5. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  6. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  7. The Washington Post Passenger List TWA Flight 800. (Retrieved 2018, February 15th). Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/twa800/list01.htm


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