De Silva
/də ˈsɪlvə/noun
A surname of Portuguese, Spanish, and related origins, originally associated with someone from or connected to a place called Silva.
Did you know?De Silva is a toponymic surname: many bearers were identified through places named Silva, from the Latin word for woodland or forest.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Latin
Latin
silva
“Forest, woodland, or a wooded place”
Late Latin
Latin
de silva
“Of or from the forest”
Medieval Iberia
Portuguese/Spanish
da Silva / de Silva
“A locational surname meaning someone associated with a place called Silva”
12th–15th Centuries
Portuguese
da Silva
“Established Iberian family surname, especially prominent in Portugal”
Early Modern Period
Portuguese/Spanish
De Silva
“Inherited surname carried through Iberian and colonial populations”
Modern English
English
De Silva
“A surname used internationally”
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