Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements, Guarantees and Other Commitments - Total Capital Commitments, Unfunded Capital Commitments, and Our Ownership in Each Fund (Detail) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	$ 4,585
SVB Strategic Investors Fund, LP
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	1,338
SVB Capital Preferred Return Fund, LP
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	1,723
SVB Capital—NT Growth Partners, LP
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	1,524
Parent Company
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Capital Commitments	468,216
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	17,692
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
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	$ 162
SVBFG Ownership of each Fund	5.10%
Parent Company | SVB Capital Shanghai Yangpu Venture Capital Fund
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Capital Commitments	$ 842
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	$ 0
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	$ 1,275
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	$ 2,325
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	$ 515
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	141
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 | Debt funds
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Capital Commitments	$ 58,493
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	0
Parent Company | Other fund investments
Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Investments [Line Items]
SVBFG Capital Commitments	306,269
SVBFG Unfunded Commitments	$ 10,441