Deposits Composition of Deposits (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Deposits [Abstract]
Noninterest-bearing demand deposits	$ 31,975,457	$ 30,867,497
Interest bearing checking and savings	375,710	330,525
Money market	5,331,054	6,128,442
Money market deposits in foreign offices	107,657	88,656
Sweep deposits in foreign offices	1,133,872	1,657,177
Time	56,118	70,479
Total deposits	$ 38,979,868	$ 39,142,776

Amount of interest-bearing sweep account deposit liabilities in foreign banking offices.

No definition available.

Name:	sivb_InterestBearingForeignDepositSweep
Namespace Prefix:	sivb_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The aggregate of all deposit liabilities held by the entity, including foreign and domestic, interest and noninterest bearing; may include demand deposits, saving deposits, Negotiable Order of Withdrawal (NOW) and time deposits among others.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.12)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_Deposits
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DepositsAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of deposits in accounts that offer many of the same services as checking accounts although transactions may be somewhat more limited, share some of the characteristics of a money market fund and are insured by the Federal government, also known as money market accounts.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DepositsMoneyMarketDeposits
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of deposits in interest-bearing transaction accounts at banks or savings and loans, that are restricted in regard to ownership and can usually only be held by individuals, nonprofit entities and governments. Negotiable order of withdrawal accounts differ from money market demand accounts as they typically have higher reserve requirements and no limit on the number of checks that can be written.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DepositsNegotiableOrderOfWithdrawalNOW
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of interest-bearing money market demand account deposit liabilities in foreign banking offices.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 235
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-05(a))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6882215&loc=d3e537907-122884

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.12)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_InterestBearingForeignDepositMoneyMarket
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The aggregate amount of all domestic and foreign noninterest-bearing deposits liabilities held by the entity.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NoninterestBearingDepositLiabilities
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of time deposit liabilities, including certificates of deposit.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 405
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=50488274&loc=d3e64164-112818

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.12)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Industry Guide
-Number 3
-Section V
-Paragraph D-E

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_TimeDeposits
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant