NameCensus.

UK surname

Silvers

A descriptive surname likely referring to a person with gray or white hair, or who worked with silver.

In the 1881 census there were 159 people recorded with the Silvers surname, ranking it #14,935 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 223, ranked #18,222, down from #14,935 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dudley, Eckington and Great Yarmouth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Birmingham, North East Derbyshire and Sandwell.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Silvers is 263 in 2009. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 40.3%.

1881 census count

159

Ranked #14,935

Modern count

223

2016, ranked #18,222

Peak year

2009

263 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Silvers had 159 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,935 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 223 in 2016, ranked #18,222.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 234 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Silvers surname distribution map

The map shows where the Silvers surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Silvers surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Silvers over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 117 #15,456
1861 historical 130 #17,164
1881 historical 159 #14,935
1891 historical 208 #14,496
1901 historical 222 #14,169
1911 historical 234 #13,526
1997 modern 250 #15,281
1998 modern 247 #15,813
1999 modern 250 #15,802
2000 modern 250 #15,741
2001 modern 243 #15,791
2002 modern 256 #15,565
2003 modern 254 #15,454
2004 modern 257 #15,419
2005 modern 245 #15,857
2006 modern 249 #15,784
2007 modern 250 #15,901
2008 modern 257 #15,777
2009 modern 263 #15,843
2010 modern 244 #17,056
2011 modern 236 #17,279
2012 modern 227 #17,630
2013 modern 221 #18,252
2014 modern 223 #18,279
2015 modern 228 #17,899
2016 modern 223 #18,222

Geography

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Where Silvers' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dudley, Eckington, Great Yarmouth, Birmingham Town: Birmingham and Birmingham Town: Aston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Birmingham, North East Derbyshire, Sandwell and Solihull. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Dudley Staffordshire
2 Eckington Derbyshire
3 Great Yarmouth Norfolk
4 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire
5 Birmingham Town: Aston Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Birmingham 029 Birmingham
2 North East Derbyshire 014 North East Derbyshire
3 Sandwell 038 Sandwell
4 North East Derbyshire 004 North East Derbyshire
5 Solihull 010 Solihull

Forenames

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First names often paired with Silvers

These lists show first names that appear often with the Silvers surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Silvers

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Silvers, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Silvers surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Silvers household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Silvers is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Silvers is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Silvers falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Silvers is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Silvers, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Silvers

The surname Silvers is an occupational name derived from the Old English word 'siolfor' or 'seolfor,' meaning silver. It originated in England and was likely given to someone who worked as a silversmith or dealt in silver during medieval times.

The earliest recorded use of the surname Silvers dates back to the 13th century. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a record of landowners in England, the name appears as 'Aylward le Seolver' from Wiltshire. This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name from its Old English roots.

The Silvers surname also has ties to various place names in England. For instance, the village of Silverdale in Lancashire and Silverhill in Staffordshire likely contributed to the surname's development through association with these locations.

One notable historical figure bearing the Silvers surname was William Silvers, a merchant and alderman who lived in London during the 16th century (c. 1530-1604). He was a prominent figure in the city's trade and governance.

Another early record of the Silvers name can be found in the parish registers of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, where a John Silvers was mentioned in 1587.

In the 17th century, a Thomas Silvers (c. 1620-1690) was a notable figure in colonial America, serving as a member of the Maryland General Assembly and a Justice of the Peace in Calvert County.

The Silvers surname also has a connection to the arts, with the British painter Anita Silvers (1888-1968) gaining recognition for her landscapes and portraits during the early 20th century.

Another notable figure was Ernest Silvers (1909-1985), an American football player and coach who played for the Chicago Cardinals and later coached at several universities, including the University of Southern California.

While the Silvers surname has its roots in England, it has since spread globally, with families bearing this name found in various parts of the world, reflecting the widespread migration of people over centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Silvers families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Silvers surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Worcestershire leads with 55 Silvers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.99x.

County Total Index
Worcestershire 55 26.99x
Derbyshire 25 10.23x
Staffordshire 19 3.61x
Warwickshire 19 4.83x
Lancashire 14 0.76x
Surrey 10 1.32x
Norfolk 7 2.92x
Yorkshire 4 0.26x
Leicestershire 3 1.73x
Middlesex 2 0.13x
Dorset 1 0.98x
Royal Navy 1 5.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dudley in Worcestershire leads with 46 Silvers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 185.63x.

Place Total Index
Dudley 46 185.63x
Birmingham 14 10.67x
Derby St Werburgh 13 92.13x
Everton 11 18.64x
Camberwell 10 10.03x
Wollaston 7 542.64x
Great Yarmouth 6 30.18x
Litchurch 6 61.04x
Kingswinford 5 26.14x
Rowley Regis 5 34.06x
Aston 4 3.69x
Eckington 4 67.34x
Handsworth 4 30.82x
Wolverhampton 4 9.88x
Oadby 3 322.58x
Thornaby 3 51.90x
Warrington 3 13.67x
Derby All Sts 2 98.04x
Kidderminster Borough 1 8.38x
Limehouse London 1 5.84x
Portland 1 18.15x
Royal Navy 1 6.29x
St Pancras London 1 0.80x
Stourbridge 1 19.08x
Well 1 588.24x
Wells Next Sea 1 71.43x
Wolstanton 1 6.25x
Wroxhall 1 1111.11x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Silvers surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Silvers surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 8
Charles 6
George 6
James 6
John 6
Joseph 6
Thomas 6
Henry 4
Brighten 2
David 2
Francis 2
Herbert 2
Jeremiah 2
Jesse 2
Lewis 2
Robert 2
Samuel 2
Simeon 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Daniel 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Fredk. 1
Mark 1
Noah 1
Percy 1

FAQ

Silvers surname: questions and answers

How common was the Silvers surname in 1881?

In 1881, 159 people were recorded with the Silvers surname. That placed it at #14,935 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Silvers surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 223 in 2016. That gives Silvers a modern rank of #18,222.

What does the Silvers surname mean?

A descriptive surname likely referring to a person with gray or white hair, or who worked with silver.

What does the Silvers map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Silvers bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.