NameCensus.

UK surname

Sylvester

From a Latin-derived word meaning "of the forest" or "wild," likely referring to an ancestor who lived near a forest.

In the 1881 census there were 1,000 people recorded with the Sylvester surname, ranking it #3,904 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,709, ranked #2,479, up from #3,904 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes and Chesterfield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barnsley, North Lincolnshire and Shropshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sylvester is 2,775 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 170.9%.

1881 census count

1,000

Ranked #3,904

Modern count

2,709

2016, ranked #2,479

Peak year

2011

2,775 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sylvester had 1,000 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,904 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,709 in 2016, ranked #2,479.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,756 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Sylvester surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sylvester surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Sylvester 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 479 #5,198
1861 historical 504 #5,194
1881 historical 1,000 #3,904
1891 historical 1,343 #3,243
1901 historical 1,593 #3,241
1911 historical 1,756 #2,797
1997 modern 2,470 #2,537
1998 modern 2,600 #2,516
1999 modern 2,641 #2,501
2000 modern 2,629 #2,498
2001 modern 2,563 #2,504
2002 modern 2,634 #2,499
2003 modern 2,589 #2,487
2004 modern 2,570 #2,506
2005 modern 2,552 #2,499
2006 modern 2,538 #2,518
2007 modern 2,574 #2,499
2008 modern 2,572 #2,522
2009 modern 2,673 #2,486
2010 modern 2,749 #2,480
2011 modern 2,775 #2,438
2012 modern 2,695 #2,461
2013 modern 2,749 #2,461
2014 modern 2,759 #2,473
2015 modern 2,740 #2,466
2016 modern 2,709 #2,479

Geography

Back to top

Where Sylvesters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes, Chesterfield, Sheffield and Wath-on-Dearn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barnsley, North Lincolnshire, Shropshire and Walsall. 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 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Chesterfield Derbyshire
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Wath-on-Dearn Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barnsley 028 Barnsley
2 North Lincolnshire 005 North Lincolnshire
3 North Lincolnshire 018 North Lincolnshire
4 Shropshire 005 Shropshire
5 Walsall 004 Walsall

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Sylvester

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Sylvester

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Sylvester, 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 Sylvester surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Sylvester 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, Sylvester 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

Sylvester is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sylvester 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 Sylvester 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 Sylvester, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Sylvester

The surname Sylvester originated in Italy and is derived from the Latin name "Silvester", which translates to "of the woods" or "forest dweller". It is believed to have first emerged as a surname in the region of Lazio, Italy, during the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sylvester can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. In this document, a landowner named Silvester is mentioned as holding lands in Gloucestershire.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Sylvester was commonly found in various European regions, including Italy, France, and Germany. One notable individual bearing this surname was Pope Sylvester II, born Gerbert d'Aurillac in around 946 AD, who served as Pope from 999 to 1003 AD. He was a renowned scholar and is credited with introducing Arabic numerals to Europe.

In the 16th century, the surname Sylvester gained prominence in England, where it was often associated with families from the county of Warwickshire. One prominent figure from this era was Joshua Sylvester, an English poet and translator born in 1563, who is best known for his translations of works by French poets such as Guillaume de Salluste Du Bartas.

Another notable individual with the surname Sylvester was James Joseph Sylvester, an English mathematician born in 1814. He made significant contributions to the fields of matrix theory, invariant theory, and the development of mathematical notation. Sylvester served as a professor at various prestigious institutions, including the University of Virginia and Johns Hopkins University.

In the 19th century, the surname Sylvester was also found among notable figures in the United States. One such individual was Richard Sylvester, an American chemist and inventor born in 1828. He is credited with the invention of the Sylvester Process, a method for the industrial production of metallic sodium.

Throughout history, the surname Sylvester has also been associated with various place names and locations, such as Sylvester, Georgia, a town in Worth County, and Sylvester Township in Green Lake County, Wisconsin. These place names likely derived from individuals bearing the Sylvester surname who settled in or were associated with those areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Sylvester families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sylvester 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. Lincolnshire leads with 166 Sylvesters recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.56x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 166 10.56x
Yorkshire 156 1.60x
Middlesex 114 1.16x
Nottinghamshire 73 5.51x
Derbyshire 68 4.42x
Staffordshire 56 1.69x
Warwickshire 51 2.06x
Lancashire 48 0.41x
Surrey 41 0.86x
Hampshire 25 1.24x
Somerset 24 1.52x
Essex 23 1.19x
Leicestershire 22 2.02x
Worcestershire 19 1.48x
Kent 16 0.48x
Oxfordshire 16 2.64x
Gloucestershire 10 0.52x
Midlothian 9 0.68x
Wiltshire 9 1.04x
Berkshire 7 0.95x
Royal Navy 6 5.12x
Sussex 6 0.36x
Cheshire 5 0.23x
Denbighshire 5 1.35x
Channel Islands 4 1.37x
Lanarkshire 4 0.13x
Northamptonshire 4 0.43x
Buckinghamshire 3 0.50x
Dunbartonshire 3 1.14x
Hertfordshire 3 0.44x
Suffolk 3 0.25x
Cornwall 2 0.18x
Devon 2 0.10x
Herefordshire 2 0.50x
Westmorland 2 0.93x
Glamorgan 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Radford in Nottinghamshire leads with 29 Sylvesters recorded in 1881 and an index of 43.07x.

Place Total Index
Radford 29 43.07x
Ecclesall Bierlow 25 12.61x
Willoughby 24 1153.85x
Lenton 22 70.47x
Ecclesfield 21 29.40x
Kimberworth 21 38.83x
Chesterfield 16 27.72x
Islington London 16 1.68x
Hinckley 15 58.00x
Birmingham 14 1.69x
Lambeth 14 1.63x
Bourton On Dunsmore 13 1313.13x
Melbourne 13 123.57x
St Pancras London 13 1.64x
Staines 13 83.49x
Handsworth 12 14.67x
Oldham 12 3.19x
Hammersmith London 11 4.54x
Nottingham St Mary 11 3.21x
Walthamstow 11 15.75x
Horncastle 10 61.61x
Hundleby 10 471.70x
Brightside Bierlow 9 4.71x
Rotherham 9 16.38x
Sculcoates 9 5.83x
Thorpe St Peter 9 468.75x
Toynton All Sts 9 796.46x
Wath On Dearne 9 46.30x
Welton In The Marsh 9 714.29x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 8 8.81x
Hogsthorpe 8 329.22x
Newbold Upon Avon 8 340.43x
Oxford St Thomas 8 28.23x
Portsea 8 2.03x
St Marylebone London 8 1.52x
Tonbridge 8 6.61x
Walsall Foreign 8 4.67x
Whittington 8 37.56x
Carrington 7 700.00x
Castleford 7 19.73x
Limehouse London 7 6.49x
Loughborough 7 14.15x
Sausthorpe 7 1489.36x
Toxteth Park 7 1.77x
Yeovil 7 21.77x
Alrewas Hays Orgreave 6 779.22x
Aston 6 0.88x
Brassington 6 258.62x
Bristol St Paul In 6 11.68x
Croydon 6 2.26x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 6 1.13x
Frodingham 6 107.14x
Goole 6 36.74x
Great Grimsby 6 6.01x
Laceby 6 175.44x
Low Toynton 6 3333.33x
Royal Navy 6 5.99x
Salford 6 1.75x
Spilsby 6 120.24x
St George Hanover 6 4.68x
Sturston 6 236.22x
Ulceby 6 156.66x
Beeston 5 32.83x
Camberwell 5 0.80x
Chorlton On Medlock 5 2.70x
Cobham 5 63.61x
Cowley 5 26.39x
Derby St Peter 5 10.20x
Hackney London 5 0.91x
Hulme 5 2.05x
Keelby 5 200.80x
Llangollen 5 135.87x
Ombersley 5 69.93x
Rushall 5 25.60x
Wilnecote 5 70.32x
Winthorpe 5 442.48x
Mexborough 4 20.68x
Sheffield 4 1.29x
St Owen 4 52.29x
Trowbridge 4 10.41x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 67
John 56
George 41
Thomas 28
Charles 27
Joseph 26
Henry 22
James 22
Edward 16
Arthur 14
Walter 14
Alfred 12
Samuel 12
Harry 10
Frederick 7
Richard 6
Albert 5
Robert 5
Tom 5
Ernest 4
Fred 4
Herbert 3
Paul 3
Percy 3
Abraham 2
Alban 2
David 2
Edwin 2
Wallace 2
Wm. 2
Adam 1
Andrew 1
Anthony 1
Bartholomew 1
Bycroft 1
Cain 1
Chas.Edw. 1
Chas.Edward 1
Edmund 1
F.A.P. 1
Francis 1
Fredk.E. 1
Haynes 1
Horace 1
Jessie 1
Jno. 1
Joel 1
Jos. 1
Joshua 1
Wm.W. 1

FAQ

Sylvester surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sylvester surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,000 people were recorded with the Sylvester surname. That placed it at #3,904 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sylvester surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,709 in 2016. That gives Sylvester a modern rank of #2,479.

What does the Sylvester surname mean?

From a Latin-derived word meaning "of the forest" or "wild," likely referring to an ancestor who lived near a forest.

What does the Sylvester map show?

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