Sylvia History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The English surname Sylvia 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 Sylvia family

The surname Sylvia 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 Sylvia family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sylvia 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 Sylvia History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sylvia Spelling Variations

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

Early Notables of the Sylvia 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 Sylvia Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sylvia Ranking

In the United States, the name Sylvia is the 5,977^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 5

Sylvia migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Sylvia Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Joseph Sylvia, who arrived in Charleston, South Carolina in 1823

Contemporary Notables of the name Sylvia (post 1700) +

Saucy Sylvia (1920-2017), born Sylvia Cadesky, a Canadian-born American comedian, classically trained pianist, singer, and radio personality
Colin Sylvia (1985-2018), Australian rules footballer who played for the Melbourne Football Club and Fremantle Football Club (2004-2015)
Ms. Marie Sylvia Gabriel C.B.E. (b. 1961), British Chair for East London NHS Foundation Trust, was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire on 8th June 2018, for services to the NHS 6
Laura Sylvia Gosse (1881-1968), English painter and printmaker, daughter of Sir Edmund Gosse, member of the Royal Society of British Artists
Estelle Sylvia Pankhurst (1882-1960), English campaigner for the suffragist movement in the United Kingdom
Annette Sylvia Presley (b. 1964), New Zealand telecommunications entrepreneur, co-founder of Slingshot
Onora Sylvia O'Neill CBE, PBA (b. 1941), Baroness O'Neill of Bengarve, British House of Lords member
Sylvia Gonçalves Rodrigues Leite (1929-2023), known professionally as Lolita Rodrigues, a Brazilian actress, singer, radio personality and television presenter
Sylvia Jukes Morris (1935-2020), British-born biographer, based in the United States. She was married to writer Edmund Morris
Sylvia May Laura Syms OBE (1934-2023), English actress, best known for her roles Woman in a Dressing Gown (1957), Ice Cold in Alex (1958), No Trees in the Street (1959), Victim (1961), and The Tamarind Seed (1974)

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists