The Silver surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 22,052 people carried this name — #1,632 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 13,400 people counted. About the same as in 2000 (21,956).

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What the name means

The meaning of the Silver surname

An English surname originating as an occupation for a silversmith or a rich man, or for someone having silvery gray hair or living by a silvery brook.

As a surname, anglicised from the German Jewish ornamental surname Silber.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Silver» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 5 births for the Silver name in 1890.

Most were registered in Connacht. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 200 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “4 in Galway.”

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Connacht 4
Munster 1

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 24 people named Silver.

8 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 5 départements, most often Nord.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 8
Nord 7
Paris 3
Guadeloupe 3
Val-d’Oise 2
Yvelines 1

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In the Nordic population registers

519 people named Silver are counted in Sweden and Finland.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 282
Finland (2026) 237

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown) · Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

34 families named Silver, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 184 people lived in those households, 5.4 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 2 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

New Hampshire 12
Massachusetts 10
Pennsylvania 6
Maryland 3
North Carolina 2
New York 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 262 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Silver in American newspapers,
1886–1929.

Newspaper page from The Anaconda Standard carrying the name Silver
The Anaconda Standard 1899-07-28
Newspaper page from The Ronan Pioneer carrying the name Silver
The Ronan Pioneer 1929-02-21
Newspaper page from St. Tammany Farmer carrying the name Silver
St. Tammany Farmer 1886-07-17

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 4,555 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Silver in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2000s.

59,301 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Silver. The most, 13,310, date from the 1900s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Western Australia, at 1.7 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 16,536
Victoria 15,581
Western Australia 9,210
South Australia 9,161
Queensland 6,451
Tasmania 1,895
ACT (Canberra) 344
Northern Territory 41

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Silver.

Who carried it

People named Silver,
with a public archive behind them.

  • William Chamberlain Silver
    William Chamberlain Silver 1814–1903 · merchant
  • Stu Silver d. 2023 · screenwriter
  • Alexander Silver d. 1797 · businessperson
  • Benjamin Silver Jr. d. 1890 · politician
  • Alexandre Silver d. 1865 · botanist
  • George Silver 1580–1599 · fencer

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Silver,
in the records of 10 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States3,996 records

3,996 records of the Silver name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 1,895
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 937
  • Other U.S. records 1,164
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Stewart Burt Silver

    Born 1932; from Long Beach, New York. U.S. Navy, commissaryman; died in an accident 1952 in Korea. Buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Winfred J. Silver

    Born 1912 in Georgia. Enlisted 1943 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi; welder. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1993, buried at Chattanooga National Cemetery, Tennessee.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Annantonia Silver

    Arrived at New York in 1902 aboard the Citta di Genova from Naples, aged 17; peasant. From Corvara, Pescara, Italy; bound for Boston.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 3,996 records for Silver in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada1,123 records

1,123 records of the Silver name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 1,068
  • Halifax municipal cemeteries 16
  • Other Canadian records 39
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Charles Jeffrey Silver

    Buried in 1960 at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 42.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Leta May Silver

    Buried in 1963 at Burnsland Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 74.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Charline Maria Silver

    Died 1940 in Eastern Passage, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 1,123 records for Silver in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Netherlands870 records

870 records of the Silver name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 408
  • Dutch population registers 359
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 103
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Trijntje Silver

    Married in 1865 in Blokker; maidservant. Died 1914 in Berkhout, aged 75.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Jansje Silver

    Married in 1920 in Enkhuizen. Died 1967 in Hoorn.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0); Open Archives, Westfries Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Jacob Silver

    Married in 1893 in Spanbroek; bricklayer. Died 1921 in Hoogwoud, aged 53.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 870 records for Silver in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Australia514 records

514 records of the Silver name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 225
  • Tasmanian Names Index 118
  • Other Australian records 171
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Ethel May Silver

    Born 1887 in Launceston, Tasmania. Married 1910 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 22.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record William Silver

    Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1849. Married 1849 in Launceston, Tasmania, aged 28.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Patt Silver

    Arrived in Victoria in 1853 aboard the Lochiel, aged 32; Irish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 514 records for Silver in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

United Kingdom29 records

29 records of the Silver name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 11
  • Scottish rolls of honour, First World War 10
  • Other British records 8
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record David Silver

    Born 1864 at Banchory-Devenick. Served in the First World War. Named in the University of Aberdeen roll of service in the Great War, 1914-1919.

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William Silver

    Died 1982, aged 83; buried at Bannockburn Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Sasha Silver

    Buried in 1808 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 49.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 29 records for Silver in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Germany10 records

10 records of the Silver name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Clemens Silver

    From Lüdinghausen, Westf. Reported dead in the Prussian casualty list of 9 May 1916 (Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 216).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Christoph Silver

    From Rotthausen, Essen. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 1 December 1914 (Pioneer Regiment No. 24).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 2 of 10 records for Silver in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

France9 records

9 records of the Silver name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Jules Adolphe Silver

    Born 1928 in Denain; died 1991 in Denain (Nord).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Madeleine Lucie Silver

    Born 1898 in Paris; died 1993 in Le Plessis-Bouchard (Val-d'Oise).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 9 records for Silver in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Finland3 records

3 records of the Silver name in Finland
  • Finland's war dead, 1939–1945 2
  • Finland's war dead, 1914–1922 1
  1. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record Paul Ragnar Silver

    Born 1908 in Tammisaari; fisherman. Died in 1941 during Finland's wars of 1939–1945; buried in Pori.

    Kansallisarkisto, via WarSampo (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 1 of 3 records for Silver in Finland.

Counts: Kansallisarkisto, via WarSampo (CC BY 4.0) · Kansallisarkisto, via Sotasurmasampo (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

New Zealand1 record

1 record of the Silver name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Silver

    Died 1930, aged 75; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Ireland1 record

1 record of the Silver name in Ireland County Galway graveyard records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Annie Silver

    Died 1979; buried at Clontuskert, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Silver.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Silver is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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