Sylvester

Sylvester
This interesting and unusual name has its origins in a Latin given name, "Silvester", a derivative of the word "silva", meaning wood, and denoting "the dweller in the wood". The personal name was borne by three Popes, including a contemporary of Constantine the Great, and seems to have been first used in England by clerics. The personal name was first recorded in Leicestershire in 1154 as "Silvester", and in 1204, in Yorkshire, as "Selvester", and the surname first appeared afterwards as "Silvestr" (see below). The surname development includes: William Silvester (1250, Lancashire), and William Sevester (1455, Kent). The modern surname has a number of variants, ranging from Silvester, Selvester and Sylvester, to Siviter and Seveter. One Abram Silvester, aged 14 yrs., was an early emigrant to the New World, leaving London in January 1634, bound for Virginia. A Coat of Arms granted to the Silvester family is a silver shield, with an oak tree eradicated green, and two red crescents in chief, the Crest being a lion's head erased green. In Heraldry, the oak tree signifies Antiquity and Strength, and the crescent is associated with Faith and Hope. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Thomas Silvestr, which was dated 1212, in the "Book of Fees for Hampshire", during the reign of King John, known as "Lackland", 1199 - 1216. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Surnames reference. 2013.

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  • Sylvester — may refer to: In some countries Sylvester (or Silvester) is the name used to refer to December 31st (New Year s Eve). As a name, it means wooded , from the root Sylvania meaning forest land in Latin.As a single name, the following churchmen*Pope… …   Wikipedia

  • Sylvester — Datos generales Nombre real Sylvester James Nacimiento 6 de diciembre de 1947 Origen Los Ángeles, Califo …   Wikipedia Español

  • Sylvester — (von lat. silva, „Wald“) steht für: den glücklosen Kater aus der Zeichentrickserie Sylvester und Tweety Sylvester (Texas), eine Stadt im US Bundesstaat Texas Sylvester (Georgia), eine Stadt im US Bundesstaat Georgia Sylvester (Film), ein Film des …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Sylvester II — • Pope (999 1003) Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Sylvester II     Pope Sylvester II      …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Sylvester I —     Pope St. Sylvester I (314 335)     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► Pope St. Sylvester I (314 335)     Date of birth unknown; d. 31 December, 335. According to the Liber pontificalis (ed. Duchesne, I, 170) he was the son of a Roman named Rufinus;… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • SYLVESTER (J. J.) — SYLVESTER JAMES JOSEPH (1814 1897) Mathématicien anglais, né et mort à Londres, qui a créé avec Arthur Cayley la théorie des invariants algébriques. En 1838, James Joseph Sylvester devint professeur de philosophie naturelle au collège de… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Sylvester — Sylvester, GA U.S. city in Georgia Population (2000): 5990 Housing Units (2000): 2378 Land area (2000): 5.709895 sq. miles (14.788559 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.032959 sq. miles (0.085364 sq. km) Total area (2000): 5.742854 sq. miles (14.873923 …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Sylvester, St. — Sylvester, St., St., der letzte Leidtragende an der Bahre des scheidenden Jahres, welches, als Greis zum liebende Kinde geworden, noch vor Kurzem die fröhlichen Weihnachtsspiele gespielt und nun zur ewigen Heimath wieder eingehen will, wo nur ein …   Damen Conversations Lexikon

  • Sylvester, GA — U.S. city in Georgia Population (2000): 5990 Housing Units (2000): 2378 Land area (2000): 5.709895 sq. miles (14.788559 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.032959 sq. miles (0.085364 sq. km) Total area (2000): 5.742854 sq. miles (14.873923 sq. km) FIPS… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Sylvester, WV — U.S. town in West Virginia Population (2000): 195 Housing Units (2000): 94 Land area (2000): 0.256098 sq. miles (0.663292 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.006357 sq. miles (0.016465 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.262455 sq. miles (0.679757 sq. km) FIPS …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Sylvester — masc. proper name, from L., lit. woody, sylvan, rural, from L. silvester, from L. silva wood, forest. St. Sylvester s Day is Dec. 31 …   Etymology dictionary

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