NameCensus.

UK surname

Silvester

A surname derived from the Latin word "silva" meaning "forest", indicating an origin in a wooded area.

In the 1881 census there were 2,307 people recorded with the Silvester surname, ranking it #1,935 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,005, ranked #2,236, down from #1,935 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stafford, East Lindsey and Winchester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Silvester is 3,247 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 30.3%.

1881 census count

2,307

Ranked #1,935

Modern count

3,005

2016, ranked #2,236

Peak year

1999

3,247 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Silvester had 2,307 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,935 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,005 in 2016, ranked #2,236.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,863 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Silvester surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Silvester surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Silvester 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 1,836 #1,573
1861 historical 1,589 #1,795
1881 historical 2,307 #1,935
1891 historical 2,155 #2,165
1901 historical 2,755 #2,017
1911 historical 2,863 #1,817
1997 modern 2,910 #2,223
1998 modern 3,201 #2,096
1999 modern 3,247 #2,081
2000 modern 3,193 #2,104
2001 modern 3,169 #2,077
2002 modern 3,211 #2,094
2003 modern 3,130 #2,099
2004 modern 3,116 #2,104
2005 modern 3,032 #2,135
2006 modern 3,035 #2,138
2007 modern 3,005 #2,171
2008 modern 3,031 #2,167
2009 modern 3,145 #2,150
2010 modern 3,169 #2,184
2011 modern 3,116 #2,189
2012 modern 3,013 #2,213
2013 modern 3,057 #2,223
2014 modern 3,085 #2,216
2015 modern 3,022 #2,242
2016 modern 3,005 #2,236

Geography

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Where Silvesters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stafford, East Lindsey, Winchester, Uttlesford and Shropshire. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stafford 005 Stafford
2 East Lindsey 003 East Lindsey
3 Winchester 011 Winchester
4 Uttlesford 006 Uttlesford
5 Shropshire 005 Shropshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Silvester

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Silvester

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Silvester, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Silvester surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Silvester household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Silvester is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Silvester is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Silvester falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Silvester is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Silvester

The surname Silvester is of Latin origin and is derived from the name Silvester, which means "of the forest" or "woodsy". This name has its roots in ancient Rome and can be traced back to the time of the Roman Empire.

The earliest known reference to the name Silvester can be found in the Codex Theodosianus, a collection of Roman laws compiled in the 5th century AD. In this codex, there is a mention of a man named Silvester who held a high-ranking position in the Roman bureaucracy.

During the Middle Ages, the name Silvester was relatively common among the nobility and the clergy in various parts of Europe. One notable figure who bore this name was Pope Silvester II, born as Gerbert of Aurillac in 945 AD. He was a renowned scholar and is credited with introducing Arabic numerals to Europe.

In England, the name Silvester appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror. The book mentions several individuals with the name Silvester, indicating that it was already in use among the English population at that time.

In the 13th century, a prominent figure named Silvester Giraldus, also known as Gerald of Wales, was a noted cleric, historian, and author. He is best known for his works describing the geography, history, and people of Wales.

Another notable individual with the surname Silvester was Victor Silvester, a British ballroom dancer, and dance instructor who lived from 1900 to 1978. He was instrumental in popularizing ballroom dancing in the United Kingdom and authored several books on the subject.

The name Silvester has also been associated with various place names throughout Europe. For instance, there is a town called Silvester in Austria, and there are several villages with similar names in Germany, such as Silvesterhausen and Silberhausen.

Over time, the name Silvester has undergone various spelling variations, including Silvester, Sylvester, and Silvestre. These variations can be found in historical records from different regions of Europe, reflecting the diversity of linguistic and cultural influences on the name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Silvester families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Silvester 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. Staffordshire leads with 400 Silvesters recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.25x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 400 5.25x
Middlesex 319 1.41x
Hampshire 234 5.06x
Surrey 160 1.45x
Warwickshire 125 2.19x
Yorkshire 123 0.55x
Lancashire 122 0.46x
Sussex 87 2.29x
Essex 76 1.70x
Somerset 75 2.06x
Berkshire 64 3.78x
Worcestershire 64 2.17x
Lincolnshire 60 1.66x
Cheshire 57 1.14x
Kent 40 0.52x
Shropshire 40 2.05x
Gloucestershire 30 0.68x
Nottinghamshire 25 0.82x
Suffolk 24 0.87x
Lanarkshire 18 0.25x
Devon 17 0.36x
Durham 17 0.25x
Oxfordshire 17 1.22x
Glamorgan 16 0.41x
Hertfordshire 15 0.96x
Leicestershire 14 0.56x
Buckinghamshire 12 0.88x
Derbyshire 11 0.31x
Denbighshire 9 1.06x
Ayrshire 6 0.36x
Monmouthshire 6 0.37x
Wiltshire 6 0.30x
Herefordshire 5 0.54x
Renfrewshire 5 0.29x
Cornwall 4 0.16x
Flintshire 4 0.66x
Royal Navy 2 0.74x
Bedfordshire 1 0.09x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.07x
Channel Islands 1 0.15x
Midlothian 1 0.03x
Norfolk 1 0.03x
Radnorshire 1 0.55x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Portsea in Hampshire leads with 78 Silvesters recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.60x.

Place Total Index
Portsea 78 8.60x
West Bromwich 71 16.27x
Birmingham 49 2.58x
St Pancras London 49 2.70x
Lambeth 44 2.23x
Aston 36 2.30x
Chelsea London 31 4.56x
Bilston 24 16.25x
Islington London 24 1.10x
Croydon 23 3.77x
Brighton 21 2.73x
Hambledon 21 134.53x
Sunningwell 21 836.65x
Wolstanton Knutton 21 45.12x
St Marylebone London 20 1.66x
Ellenhall 19 1061.45x
Stoke Upon Trent 19 2.35x
Audley 18 23.87x
Eccleshall 18 62.28x
Little Hallingbury 18 399.11x
Manchester 18 1.49x
Taunton St Mary 18 26.97x
Titchfield 18 51.59x
Walsall Foreign 16 4.06x
Camberwell 15 1.04x
Gnosall 15 81.52x
Kensington London 15 1.19x
Stafford St Mary 15 13.90x
Wolverhampton 15 2.56x
Birchanger 14 380.43x
Hoyland Nether 14 25.51x
Newington 14 1.68x
Stafford St Chad 14 396.60x
Burslem 13 5.95x
Cheetham 13 6.50x
Hornsey 13 4.55x
North South Anston 13 132.79x
Abingdon St Helen 12 24.21x
Keynsham 12 45.98x
Walcot 12 6.20x
Dalziel 11 14.00x
Deptford St Paul 11 1.85x
Drayton In Hales 11 27.35x
Isleworth 11 10.96x
Kings Norton 11 4.16x
Radley 11 258.82x
Rotherhithe 11 3.94x
Worksop 11 12.19x
Ashford 10 56.05x
Aylesbury 10 16.53x
Bethnal Green London 10 1.02x
Clapham 10 3.54x
Eastbourne 10 5.71x
Headley 10 79.49x
Soberton 10 117.51x
Sudbury St Gregory 10 45.35x
Wootton 10 350.88x
Balterley 9 439.02x
Checkley Cum Wrinehill 9 687.02x
Exeter St Mary Major 9 31.76x
Fulham London 9 2.75x
Holy Trinity 9 1.67x
Kidderminster Borough 9 5.21x
Leamington Priors 9 6.42x
Newcastle Under Lyme 9 6.67x
Northfield 9 16.09x
Oldham 9 1.04x
Prestwich 9 13.46x
Shipston On Stour 9 67.06x
Tottenham 9 2.50x
Westminster St John 9 3.27x
Wrockwardine 9 20.98x
Broadwater 8 9.16x
Eccleshall Broughton 8 2962.96x
Mile End Old Town 8 2.24x
Ratcliffe London 8 6.41x
St Botolph Bishopsgate 8 25.03x
Takeley 8 125.39x
Waldridge 8 71.11x
Westbourne 8 42.22x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 148
Elizabeth 88
Sarah 88
Emma 46
Jane 44
Ellen 36
Annie 34
Ann 31
Martha 31
Alice 30
Eliza 29
Emily 27
Caroline 23
Louisa 22
Fanny 20
Hannah 20
Charlotte 19
Edith 15
Ada 14
Kate 14
Rose 14
Harriet 13
Harriett 13
Agnes 12
Esther 11
Margaret 11
Maria 11
Florence 10
Frances 10
Julia 10
Susan 9
Catherine 8
Lucy 7
Rebecca 7
Amy 6
Clara 6
Selina 6
Anna 5
Anne 5
Eleanor 5
Ethel 5
Laura 5
Maryann 5
Matilda 5
Maud 5
Phoebe 5
Rosa 5
Susannah 5
Betsy 4
Lydia 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 127
William 117
James 87
George 81
Henry 75
Thomas 71
Joseph 49
Edward 44
Charles 36
Alfred 28
Samuel 27
Frederick 25
Richard 20
Arthur 19
Harry 17
Walter 17
Robert 15
Albert 13
Francis 11
Wm. 10
Edwin 9
Ernest 8
Abraham 7
Daniel 7
Geo. 6
Herbert 6
Benjamin 5
Frank 5
Fred 5
Thos. 5
Fredrick 4
Saml. 4
Stephen 4
Andrew 3
Chas. 3
David 3
Enoch 3
Fredk. 3
Mark 3
Maurice 3
Peter 3
Philip 3
Willm. 3
Edwd. 2
G. 2
Jno. 2
Job 2
Jos. 2
Percy 2
Raymond 2

FAQ

Silvester surname: questions and answers

How common was the Silvester surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,307 people were recorded with the Silvester surname. That placed it at #1,935 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Silvester surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,005 in 2016. That gives Silvester a modern rank of #2,236.

What does the Silvester surname mean?

A surname derived from the Latin word "silva" meaning "forest", indicating an origin in a wooded area.

What does the Silvester map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Silvester 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.