Sylvester Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Sylvester last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Sylvester last name
Meaning of the Sylvester last name: of the woods. Sylvester is an English surname from the medieval personal name Silvester, from Latin silva, "wood", meaning "of the woods". The name was popular through Pope Saint Sylvester I, whose feast falls on New Year's Eve. The last name is found across England and the United States.
Arms associated with the Sylvester name
Coats of arms associated with the Sylvester surname follow English heraldry, each set out in a short blazon.
Get your full Sylvester family history
This is only a glimpse of the Sylvester story. The full Sylvester history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Sylvester coat of arms. Get the full Sylvester report.
Sylvester name FAQ
What does the Sylvester name mean?
of the woods. Common variants include Silvester, Selvester.
Where does the Sylvester surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Sylvester coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Sylvester coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).