Given name & surname
Silver
“a precious metal; whiteskinned”·“a precious metal; a whiteskinned man”
Silver is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “a precious metal; whiteskinned” (English) and “a precious metal; a whiteskinned man” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “a precious metal; whiteskinned” (English) and “a precious metal; a whiteskinned man” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
How it developed
In Estonian usage, Silver developed from Silvester.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1896. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Silver through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,277
- 528 boys · 1,749 girls
- Most popular year
- 2023
- 75 babies
- 2025
- 65
- #3,380 for girls · #5,171 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +15%
- Rising
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 27% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 46 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 3,380 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 6.8% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 19 birth records for boys in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (6). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,946 as a first name in 2020; 21,205 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Silver’s family of names
In Estonian usage, Silver developed from the Latin form Silvester. In Estonian usage, Silver has a conventional equivalent in the English form Sylvester. Silver has a related form in Sylver.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 5
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Silver
- Silver MeikarEstonian politician (born 1978)
- Silver LeppikEstonian basketball player (born 1983)
- Silver Donald CameronCanadian writer (1937–2020)
- Silver KingAmerican baseball player1868–1938
Characters named Silver: Silver Sable (Marvel Comics), Silver St. Cloud (fictional character).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Silver, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Southern
“woman of the South” · “man from the south”
39% boys · 61% girls
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“an outlaw”
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Hartford
“from the stag's ford”
50% boys · 50% girls
Winslow
“from a friend's hill”
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Sutton
“from the southern town”
33% boys · 67% girls
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“from the clearing of roe deer”
36% boys · 64% girls
Larkin
“a pretty young woman” · “one who is fierce”
40% boys · 60% girls