Portuguese surname
Forest/woods
Locational surname
Silva is the most common surname in Portugal and Brazil and means 'forest' or 'woodland', from the Latin 'silva'. It originated as a topographic name for someone who lived near a forest. The name is extremely widespread in the Portuguese-speaking world.
Its high frequency results from independent origin in many families and from the large number of places named Silva. The surname remains dominant in Portugal and Brazil.
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Forest/woods. From Latin "silva" (forest), the most common surname in Portugal and Brazil, originally locational.
Silva is a Portuguese-origin surname. Popularity varies widely by country and region, and the same surname can be common in one place and rare in another.
Yes. Surnames, especially occupational and descriptive ones like this, were often adopted independently by many unrelated families who happened to share a trade, appearance, or location.
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