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, 2013
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	$ 448,482
SVB Strategic Investors Fund, LP
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	2,298
SVB Strategic Investors Fund II, LP
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	8,475
SVB Strategic Investors Fund III, LP
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	33,462
SVB Strategic Investors Fund IV, LP
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	83,897
Strategic Investors Fund V Funds
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	282,046
Strategic Investors Fund VI Funds
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	3,500
SVB Capital Preferred Return Fund, LP
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	14,286
SVB Capital—NT Growth Partners, LP
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	16,289
Other private equity fund
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	4,229
Parent Company
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Capital Commitments	509,478
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	90,326
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%
Parent Company | SVB Capital Partners II, LP
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Capital Commitments	1,200	[1]
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	162	[1]
SVBFG Ownership of each Fund	5.10%	[1]
Parent Company | SVB Capital Shanghai Yangpu Venture Capital Fund
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Capital Commitments	934
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	161
SVBFG Ownership of each Fund	6.80%
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%
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%
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	2,063
SVBFG Ownership of each Fund	5.90%
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	3,427
SVBFG Ownership of each Fund	5.00%
Parent Company | Strategic Investors Fund V Funds
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Capital Commitments	1,000
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	833
Parent Company | Strategic Investors Fund VI Funds
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Capital Commitments	500
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	500
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%
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%
Parent Company | Other private equity fund
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Capital Commitments	9,338	[2]
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	0	[2]
SVBFG Ownership of each Fund	58.20%	[2]
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%
Parent Company | Partners for Growth II, LP
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Capital Commitments	15,000
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	4,950
SVBFG Ownership of each Fund	24.20%
Parent Company | Gold Hill Venture Lending 03, LP
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Capital Commitments	20,000	[3]
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	0	[3]
SVBFG Ownership of each Fund	9.30%	[3]
Parent Company | Other fund investments
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Capital Commitments	335,609	[4]
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	$ 65,132	[4]

[1] 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.

[2] 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.

[3] Our ownership includes direct ownership of 4.8 percent and indirect ownership interest of 4.5 percent through GHLLC.

[4] Represents commitments to 317 funds (primarily venture capital funds) where our ownership interest is generally less than 5 percent of the voting interests of each such fund.