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Boy · Latin and Aramaic, through Greek
Silas
Say it: SY-lus
Meaning
Short form of Silvanus, from Latin silva 'wood'; it may also be a Greek form of Aramaic Saul.
Likelythe main view, with some doubt.
A companion of Paul in Acts, common in colonial America and popular again today.
Its wave through time
A revival, back after decades away
In the United States
- 54,628 babies given this name since 1880
- At its height in 2020, about 1 in 474 boys
- 3,610 babies in 2020
Through the ages
- The Biblical WorldAbout 1200 BC to AD 100
- The Colonial Americas1500 to 1800
- The Age of Revolutions1750 to 1837
- Victorian and Belle Époque1837 to 1914
- The Modern Age1880 to today
Used by
The family of the name
| French | Silas |
|---|---|
| Spanish | Silas |
| Italian | Sila |
| Portuguese | Silas |
| German | Silas |
| Danish | Silas |
| Latin | Silvanus |
Famous bearers
- Silas, companion of Paul in Acts
- Silas Marner, title character of George Eliot's novel
- Silas Deane, American Revolutionary diplomat
Names worth a look
Where this comes from
- The Hebrew Bible and the New Testament
- Puritan church and town records of England and New England
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
- Colonial records of the Americas
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.
Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.