Silva is a surname in Portuguese-speaking countries, such as Portugal and Brazil. Its meaning is derived from the Latin word silva meaning 'forest' or 'woodland'.
It is also widespread in regions of the former Portuguese Empire in America (from Galicia), Africa and Asia, including India and Sri Lanka. Movement of people has led to the name being used in many places; da 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.
Thiago silva conditioning training for football soccer muscle madness
Actors
Adele Silva, British actress
António Silva (actor), Portuguese actor
Douglas Silva, Brazilian actor
Fernando Ramos da Silva, Brazilian actor
Freddie Silva, Sri Lankan actor, comedian
Henry Silva, American actor
Howard da Silva, American actor
Jothiratnage Sadiris de Silva, Sri Lankan Sinhala actor, musician
Hilarion "Larry" Silva, Filipino actor
Leslie Silva, American actress
Nicole da Silva, Australian actress
Paulo Rogério da Silva, Brazilian actor also known as Gero Camilo
Sanjit De Silva, Sri Lankan American actor, director
Simone Silva, Egyptian-born French film actress
Musicians
Da Silva (singer), French singer, songwriter of Portuguese origin
Alan Silva, American free jazz double bassist
Amancio D'Silva, Goan jazz guitarist
Andrew Conrad De Silva, Sri Lankan Australian R&B and rock vocalist and instrumentalist
Dawn Silva, American funk vocalist
Desmond de Silva, Sri Lankan vocalist
Francisco Manuel da Silva, Brazilian musician
Henry Silva, Cape Verdean Band Leader/Singer
Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silva, better known by his stage name of Horace Silver, American jazz pianist, composer and bandleader
Joao Da Silva, Portuguese producer and businessman
Rui da Silva, Portuguese DJ
Stuart de Silva, Sri Lankan Australian jazz pianist
Sugathapala de Silva, Sri Lankan Sinhala dramatist, novelist, radio play producer, and translator
Wellawattearachchige Abraham Silva, Sri Lankan Sinhala novelist
Wilson da Silva, Australian/Portuguese science writer, editor and filmmaker
Other arts
Frank Silva, American set dresser
Maria José Marques da Silva, Portuguese architect
Matthew R. Silva, American makeup effects artist
Minnette de Silva, Sri Lankan Sinhala architect
Fictional characters
Silva (Shaman King), a fictional character in Shaman King
Silva, a mystical speaking necklace in GARO
Raoul Silva, the antagonist of the James Bond film Skyfall
Rose Da Silva, Christopher Da Silva & Sharon Da Silva, fictional characters in the Silent Hill (film)
History
Bernardo Peres da Silva, the first and only native Goan governor of Portuguese India
Lucius Flavius Silva, Roman governor of Judea who crushed Jewish resistance at Masada in 73 AD
José Joaquim da Silva Xavier (1746–1792), known as Tiradentes, Brazilian independentist leader
Pedro da Silva, first post courier of Canada (17th-18th century)
Ruy Gómez de Silva (1516-1573), nobleman and cousin of Philip II of Spain
Media
Dayananda de Silva, Sri Lankan Sinhala radio journalist at Radio Ceylon
João Silva (photographer), South African photographer
Martin Silva, politician and radio personality
Sampath Lakmal de Silva, Sri Lankan Sinhala journalist specializing in defense issues
Tatiana Silva Braga Tavares, Miss Belgium
Tom Silva, general contractor on the PBS show This Old House
Political
Amaro Silva, former municipal politician in Winnipeg (Manitoba), Canada
Aníbal Cavaco Silva, President of Portugal
António Maria da Silva, Portuguese politician
Artur da Costa e Silva, Brazilian military officer and politician
Asoka de Silva, 9th Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy
Asoka de Silva, 42nd Chief Justice of Sri Lanka
Benedita da Silva, Brazilian politician
Chitta Ranjan De Silva, Sri Lankan Sinhala lawyer, Chairman of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission, 40th Attorney General of Sri Lanka, 39th Solicitor General of Sri Lanka
Colvin Reginald de Silva, Sri Lankan Sinhala Trotskyist Member of Parliament, Cabinet Minister of Plantation Industries and Constitutional Affairs
Crishantha de Silva, 21st Commander of the Sri Lanka Army
Desmond Lorenz de Silva, Sri Lankan Briton lawyer, former United Nations Chief War Crimes Prosecutor in Sierra Leone
Duminda Silva, Sri Lankan politician
Estanislau da Silva, East Timorese politician and member of the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor
Francisco de Paula Vieira da Silva de Tovar, 1st Viscount of Molelos, Portuguese politician
Fredrick de Silva, Sri Lankan Sinhala lawyer and politician
Gardiye Punchihewage Amaraseela Silva, 34th Chief Justice of Sri Lanka
George E. de Silva, Sri Lankan Sinhala lawyer and politician
G.E.S. de Silva, Commanding Officer of the Sri Lanka Volunteer Naval Force
G. H. De Silva, 13th Commander of the Sri Lanka Army
Golbery do Couto e Silva, Brazilian politician
G. P. S. de Silva, 40th Chief Justice of Sri Lanka
H. A. Silva, 11th Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy
Israel Pinheiro da Silva, Brazilian politician and engineer
Jaime Silva, former Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries of Portugal
Luís Alves de Lima e Silva, Duke of Caxias, Brazilian military commander
Luís da Silva Mouzinho de Albuquerque, Portuguese politician
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, former President of Brazil
Lydia Méndez Silva, Puerto Rican politician affiliated with the Popular Democratic Party
Makalandage Johnny Terrence De Silva Gunawardena, 8th Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force
Manuel António Vassalo e Silva, Portuguese politician
Manuel Carvalho da Silva, coordinator of the Portuguese Labour union federation
Marina Silva, Brazilian environmentalist and politician
Mario Silva, Canadian politician
Mervin Rex de Silva, Sri Lankan Sinhala fighter pilot who served in the Royal Air Force during World War II
Mervyn Silva, Sri Lankan Sinhala politician
Mohan Priyadarshana De Silva, Sri Lankan Sinhala Member of Parliament for Galle Electoral District
Nilenthi Nimal Siripala de Silva, Sri Lankan Sinhala politican, Sri Lankan Minister of Transport
Peduru Hewage William de Silva, Sri Lankan Sinhala Trotskyist politician, Cabinet Minister of Industries and Fisheries in Prime Minister S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike's SLFP-MEP coalition government (1956–59)
Sarath N. Silva, 41st Chief Justice of Sri Lanka
Shavendra Silva, Sri Lankan Sinhala general and diplomat
Sonia Silva, American politician
T. N. De Silva, former Commandant of the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force
Wilmot Arthur de Silva, Sri Lankan Sinhala politician, veterinary surgeon, and philanthropist, Minister of Health in the second State Council of Ceylon
Religion
Saint Beatrice of Silva, Portuguese Dominican nun
Clarence Richard Silva, United States Catholic bishop
Hezekiah da Silva, Jewish author born in Livorno, Italy, and teacher in Jerusalem
Blessed João Mendes de Silva (Amadeus of Portugal), Portuguese Hieronymite and later Franciscan
Lynn de Silva, Sri Lankan Methodist theologian
Raúl Silva Henríquez, Chilean cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church
Robert D'Silva, Pakistani Catholic priest
Scholars
Agostinho da Silva, Portuguese philosopher
Arjuna Priyadarsin de Silva, Sri Lankan Sinhala gastroenterologist
Chandra Richard de Silva, Sri Lankan Sinhala academic, historian, and author
Clarence de Silva, Canadian engineer
Harendra de Silva, Sri Lankan Sinhala pediatrician
H. Janaka de Silva, Sri Lankan Sinhala physician
Jayathi De Silva, Sri Lankan scientist and model
José Sebastião e Silva, Portuguese mathematician
Kingsley De Silva, Sri Lankan obstetrician and gynaecologist
Kingsley Muthumuni de Silva, Sri Lankan Sinhala academic, historian, and author
Maria Nazareth F. da Silva, Brazilian zoologist
Maurício Rocha e Silva, Brazilian physician
Moisés Silva, Cuban-born American professor of biblical studies
Primus Thilakaratne de Silva, Sri Lankan Sinhala senior consultant physician
Alcino J. Silva, Portugal-born American neuroscientist
Sports
Many people on this list are not generally known as Silva.
Auto racing
Ayrton Senna da Silva, also known as Ayrton Senna or Senna, Brazilian Formula One triple world champion
Ollie Silva, American auto racing driver
Basketball
Filipe da Silva, Portuguese basketball player
Maria Paula Silva, Brazilian basketball player
Paulo César da Silva (basketball player), Brazilian national basketball player later wrestler and mixed martial artist known as Giant Silva
Beach volleyball
Jackie Silva, Brazilian beach volleyball player
Paulo Emilio Silva, Brazilian beach volleyball player
Cricket
Aravinda de Silva, Sri Lankan international cricketer
Ashley de Silva, Sri Lankan international cricketer
Asoka de Silva, Sri Lankan international cricketer
Dandeniyage Somachandra de Silva, Sri Lankan Sinhala international cricketer
Dhananjaya Maduranga de Silva, Sri Lankan Sinhala cricketer
