Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements, Guarantees and Other Commitments - Total Capital Commitments, Unfunded Capital Commitments, and Our Ownership in Each Fund (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	$ 557,992
SVB Strategic Investors Fund, LP
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	2,250
SVB Strategic Investors Fund II, LP
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	5,021
SVB Strategic Investors Fund III, LP
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	11,237
SVB Strategic Investors Fund IV, LP
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	32,730
Strategic Investors Fund V Funds
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	123,888
Strategic Investors Fund VI Funds
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	219,750
SVB Capital Preferred Return Fund, LP
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	4,448
SVB Capital—NT Growth Partners, LP
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	4,672
Other private equity fund
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	77
Parent Company
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Capital Commitments	502,191
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	41,256
Parent Company | Silicon Valley BancVentures, LP
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Capital Commitments	6,000
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	270
SVBFG Ownership of each Fund	10.70%	[1]
Parent Company | SVB Capital Partners II, LP
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Capital Commitments	1,200	[2]
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	162	[2]
SVBFG Ownership of each Fund	5.10%	[1],[2]
Parent Company | Capital Partners III, LP
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Capital Commitments	0
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	0
SVBFG Ownership of each Fund	0.00%	[1]
Parent Company | SVB Capital Shanghai Yangpu Venture Capital Fund
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Capital Commitments	935
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	0
SVBFG Ownership of each Fund	6.80%	[1]
Parent Company | SVB Strategic Investors Fund, LP
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Capital Commitments	15,300
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	688
SVBFG Ownership of each Fund	12.60%	[1]
Parent Company | SVB Strategic Investors Fund II, LP
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Capital Commitments	15,000
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	1,050
SVBFG Ownership of each Fund	8.60%	[1]
Parent Company | SVB Strategic Investors Fund III, LP
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Capital Commitments	15,000
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	1,275
SVBFG Ownership of each Fund	5.90%	[1]
Parent Company | SVB Strategic Investors Fund IV, LP
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Capital Commitments	12,239
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	2,325
SVBFG Ownership of each Fund	5.00%	[1]
Parent Company | Strategic Investors Fund V Funds
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Capital Commitments	515
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	178
Parent Company | Strategic Investors Fund VI Funds
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Capital Commitments	0
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	0
SVBFG Ownership of each Fund	0.00%	[1]
Parent Company | Strategic Investors Fund VII Funds
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Capital Commitments	0
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	0
SVBFG Ownership of each Fund	0.00%	[1]
Parent Company | SVB Capital Preferred Return Fund, LP
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Capital Commitments	12,688
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	0
SVBFG Ownership of each Fund	20.00%	[1]
Parent Company | SVB Capital—NT Growth Partners, LP
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Capital Commitments	24,670
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	1,340
SVBFG Ownership of each Fund	33.00%	[1]
Parent Company | Other private equity fund
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Capital Commitments	9,338	[3]
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	0	[3]
SVBFG Ownership of each Fund	58.20%	[1],[3]
Parent Company | Partners for Growth, LP
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Capital Commitments	25,000
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	9,750
SVBFG Ownership of each Fund	50.00%	[1]
Parent Company | Debt funds (equity method accounting)
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Capital Commitments	63,134
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	4,950
Parent Company | Other fund investments
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Capital Commitments	301,172	[4]
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	$ 19,268	[4]

[1] We are subject to the Volcker Rule, which restricts or limits us from sponsoring or having ownership interests in “covered” funds including venture capital and private equity funds. See “Business - Supervision and Regulation” under Item 1 of Part I of our 2014 Form 10-K.

[2] Our ownership includes direct ownership of 1.3 percent and indirect ownership interest of 3.8 percent through our investment in SVB Strategic Investors Fund II, LP.

[3] Our ownership includes direct ownership of 41.5 percent and indirect ownership interests of 12.6 percent and 4.1 percent in the fund through our ownership interest of SVB Capital - NT Growth Partners, LP and SVB Capital Preferred Return Fund, LP, respectively.

[4] Represents commitments to 283 funds (primarily venture capital funds) where our ownership interest is generally less than 5 percent of the voting interests of each such fund.