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Silas Name Meaning, Origins & History

Silas

Pronunciation: SY-lus

Meaning Of the woods Origin Aramaic Gender Boy
BOYS RANK
#71
TREND
10
GIRLS RANK
#12,991
TREND
5,803
Peak Years
2025, 2024, 2023
Lowest Years
1901, 1905, 1907
Energy Archetype
Original & Spiritually Intense

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of boys named Silas in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Silas

  • Gaining ground: Silas remained in the U.S. top 100 for 6 consecutive years, from 2020 through 2025. In 2025, it gained 10 ranking positions compared with the previous year.
  • More than 75 thousand babies named Silas: U.S. records list 75,595 babies given the name Silas from 1880 through 2025. Even 184 girls received the name Silas - about 1 girl for every 410 boys.

What Does the Name Silas Mean?

Silas goes back to the Latin name Silvanus, which was formed from silva, the Latin word for "wood" or "forest." Its literal sense is therefore "of the woods" or "belonging to the forest." Silvanus began as an epithet of a Roman god of woods and fields and later became an ordinary Roman given name. In the Greek New Testament the same companion of Paul is called both Silas (Σίλας) and Silouanos (Σιλουανός), the Greek rendering of Silvanus, and English takes Silas directly from the shorter Greek form.

Because one person carries both forms, Silas is usually explained as a short or familiar version of Silvanus. That explanation is not universally accepted; some have suggested that Silas instead stands for a separate Semitic name that the Greek text took over, and the question is not settled. The "forest" meaning belongs to the Latin Silvanus, not to any confirmed Semitic derivation.

Silas Name History & Origins

Silas enters written record in the Acts of the Apostles, where he is a leading member of the church in Jerusalem chosen to carry the council's letter to Antioch and then a companion of Paul on his travels through Asia Minor and Greece. Acts describes him imprisoned with Paul at Philippi. The same man is named Silvanus in the New Testament letters: he is a co-sender of 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and 1 Peter names Silvanus as its scribe. Later church tradition made him a bishop, at Corinth or Thessalonica, but those accounts are traditional rather than documented.

Latin Silvanus was already a common Roman name before the Christian era, used both as a cognomen and as a name honoring the woodland god. The shortened Greek form Silas spread with Christianity and was taken into English after the Reformation, when biblical names came into wide use. It appears in English records in the 17th century and among Puritan families, who favored names drawn from the New Testament.

In the 19th century the name was used for the title character of George Eliot's novel Silas Marner (1861), a well-known literary appearance that came long after the name's biblical and early modern circulation. Later bearers include the American diplomat Silas Deane and the American physician and writer Silas Weir Mitchell.

How Popular is the Name Silas?

Silas recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2025. Silas entered the top 100 U.S. boy names in 2020.

U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.

Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.

Explore Name Lists Featuring Silas

Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.

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How the Name Silas Shapes Your Personality and Life?

You are spiritually intense and can sting or charm. Your name brings love and new starts into life and attracts money. In business, you are the creator and promoter of original ideas and usually enjoy considerable financial success. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.

You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.

✦ Silas's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Silas's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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