History of your Surname
Get access to Silk family records.Start a free trial

Silk Family History

Silk Name Meaning

English: nickname for someone who made or sold silk from Middle English silk selk ‘silk’ (Old English seolc). English: from a shortened form of the Middle English personal name Silkin a diminutive of Sil (see Sill ). Irish (Galway): in Ireland adopted for Gaelic Ó Síoda though never for Mac Síoda (see Sheedy ). Americanized form (translation into English) of German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) Seide or Seid .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Milk, Wilk, Bick, Salk, Sik, Mick, Sill, Sink, Sick, Hild

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Silk family from?

You can see how Silk families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Silk family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Silk families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 4 Silk families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 50% of all the recorded Silk's in USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Silk families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Silk surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Silk ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Silk. 14% of Silk men worked as a Laborer and 13% of Silk women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Silk were Clerk and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Silk | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    14%
  • Salesman
    12%
  • Farmer
    12%
  • Clerk
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    13%
  • Bookkeeper
    9%
  • Stenographer
    8%
  • Teacher
    8%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Silk family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 53,000 census records available for the last name Silk. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Silk census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Silk

Passenger Lists

There are 7,000 immigration records available for the last name Silk. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Silk immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 6,000 military records available for the last name Silk. For the veterans among your Silk ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Silk military records

You've only scratched the surface of Silk family history

Discover More

What is the average Silk lifespan?

Between 1950 and 2004, in the United States, Silk life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1950, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Silk in 1950 was 43, and 81 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Silk

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Silk family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Silk last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial