Silva

Silva

Silva, de Silva and da Silva are surnames in Portuguese-speaking countries, such as Portugal and Brazil. It is derived from the Latin word silva, meaning 'forest' or 'woodland'. It is also widespread in Portuguese-speaking regions of Spain (mostly in Galicia) and even more widespread in regions of the former Portuguese Empire in the Americas (being the most common surname in Brazil), in Africa and Asia, notably in India and Sri Lanka. (See also: Luso-Indian, Portuguese in Sri Lanka) Movement of people has led to the name being used in many places. Due to emigration from Portuguese-speaking countries, Silva (and the variants Da Silva and De Silva) is the fifth most common surname in the French department of Val-de-Marne, outside Paris, and it was the 19th most common family name given to newborns between 1966 and 1990 in France. (See: Portuguese in France) It is also the 7th most common surname (and the most common non-German, non-French) in Luxembourg. (See: Portuguese Luxembourger) It is also among the top 20 surnames in Andorra, Angola, Cape Verde

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