Silas Boy

Popularity: #71 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: SY-lus /ˈsaɪləs/

Origin: Latin; Greek; Hebrew

Meaning: Latin: 'man of the forest'; Greek: 'the one who is saved'; Hebrew: 'peace'

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Silas has its roots in the Hebrew name "Sha'ul," meaning "asked for, prayed for." This name was adapted into Greek as "Silas," which is often associated with the Latin form "Silvanus," derived from the Latin word "silva," meaning "forest" or "woodland." The transition into English occurred through the influence of the Greek New Testament, where Silas is mentioned as a companion of the Apostle Paul, thus establishing the name within early Christian contexts. Silas appears in the New Testament, particularly in the Acts of the Apostles, where he is depicted as a key figure in the missionary journeys of Paul during the first century CE.

His role as a leader in the early Christian church and as a co-author of some of the Pauline epistles contributed to the name's significance in Christian tradition. The name is also linked to the early Christian martyr Saint Silas, who is venerated in various Christian denominations.

Throughout history, Silas has been associated with themes of faithfulness and companionship, reflecting the character of the biblical Silas who supported Paul during trials and tribulations. This connection to steadfastness and loyalty has allowed the name to resonate within Christian communities over the centuries.

Additionally, the name has been used in various literary works and has appeared in different cultural contexts, often symbolizing strength and resilience. The diminutive form "Si" has also been used historically, although its prominence varies by region and era.

Famous people named Silas

In this section, you will find notable people named Silas. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Silas who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Silas who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Silas Weir Mitchell is an actor best known for Prison Break, The Mentalist, and Grimm.

Silas Marner is a fictional character best known as the protagonist of George Eliot's novel Silas Marner.

Fictional characters named Silas

The following list of fictional characters named Silas is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Silas is a fictional character from the novel The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. He is an assassin working for the antagonist, Opus Dei, and plays a crucial role in the unfolding mystery.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Silas, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

SimonSethSamuelSilvanSabrinaSophie

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Silas. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

SilvanSilvioSimeonSiriusSalvadorSalomonSorenSullivan

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Silas was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Silas has ranked as high as #121 nationally, which occurred in 2025, and has been most popular in California, Texas, North Carolina, Ohio, and Florida.

In the past 5 years the name Silas has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Silas is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Silas was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Silas.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 4,646 4,639 7
2024 4,143 4,127 16
2023 4,123 4,105 18
2022 4,052 4,032 20
2021 3,930 3,916 14
2020 3,656 3,645 11
2019 3,578 3,566 12
2018 3,533 3,518 15
2017 3,354 3,340 14
2016 3,426 3,417 9
2015 3,200 3,191 9
2014 2,942 2,937 5
2013 3,418 3,413 5
2012 2,503 2,497 6
2011 2,118 2,118 0
2010 1,632 1,632 0
2009 1,388 1,377 11
2008 1,074 1,074 0
2007 940 940 0
2006 800 800 0
2005 660 660 0
2004 618 611 7
2003 562 562 0
2002 580 580 0
2001 376 376 0
2000 328 328 0
1999 290 290 0
1998 251 251 0
1997 230 230 0
1996 207 207 0
1995 204 204 0
1994 153 153 0
1993 155 155 0
1992 165 165 0
1991 133 133 0
1990 119 119 0
1989 118 118 0
1988 116 116 0
1987 121 121 0
1986 115 115 0
1985 116 116 0
1984 103 103 0
1983 123 123 0
1982 114 114 0
1981 133 133 0
1980 116 116 0
1979 112 112 0
1978 113 113 0
1977 93 93 0
1976 100 100 0
1975 111 111 0
1974 83 83 0
1973 94 94 0
1972 74 74 0
1971 73 73 0
1970 69 69 0
1969 66 66 0
1968 62 62 0
1967 52 52 0
1966 72 72 0
1965 90 90 0
1964 70 70 0
1963 97 97 0
1962 78 78 0
1961 87 87 0
1960 79 79 0
1959 96 96 0
1958 104 104 0
1957 116 116 0
1956 101 101 0
1955 90 90 0
1954 115 115 0
1953 113 113 0
1952 101 101 0
1951 94 94 0
1950 120 120 0
1949 139 139 0
1948 113 113 0
1947 132 132 0
1946 142 142 0
1945 112 112 0
1944 118 118 0
1943 137 137 0
1942 145 145 0
1941 118 118 0
1940 120 120 0
1939 140 140 0
1938 146 146 0
1937 109 109 0
1936 145 145 0
1935 143 143 0
1934 142 142 0
1933 143 143 0
1932 154 154 0
1931 169 169 0
1930 191 191 0
1929 177 177 0
1928 167 167 0
1927 183 183 0
1926 211 211 0
1925 219 219 0
1924 218 213 5
1923 206 206 0
1922 213 213 0
1921 224 224 0
1920 218 218 0
1919 202 202 0
1918 229 229 0
1917 205 205 0
1916 190 190 0
1915 197 197 0
1914 173 173 0
1913 126 126 0
1912 108 108 0
1911 59 59 0
1910 64 64 0
1909 62 62 0
1908 48 48 0
1907 45 45 0
1906 53 53 0
1905 43 43 0
1904 51 51 0
1903 47 47 0
1902 55 55 0
1901 37 37 0
1900 68 68 0
1899 55 55 0
1898 48 48 0
1897 53 53 0
1896 63 63 0
1895 68 68 0
1894 56 56 0
1893 57 57 0
1892 89 89 0
1891 58 58 0
1890 84 84 0
1889 67 67 0
1888 71 71 0
1887 64 64 0
1886 77 77 0
1885 73 73 0
1884 83 83 0
1883 77 77 0
1882 92 92 0
1881 73 73 0
1880 98 98 0

Top States for Silas (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
TX 356
9%
CA 271
7%
FL 208
5%
NC 206
5%
OH 201
5%
PA 186
5%
TN 154
4%
VA 135
3%
NY 130
3%
IL 121
3%
MI 120
3%
KY 119
3%
GA 118
3%
WA 118
3%
IN 113
3%
AL 102
2%
MO 92
2%
CO 81
2%
SC 81
2%
WI 79
2%
MN 79
2%
AZ 73
2%
LA 68
2%
OK 64
2%
OR 62
2%
IA 58
1%
AR 55
1%
MD 53
1%
MS 51
1%
KS 49
1%
MA 47
1%
WV 45
1%
ID 44
1%
UT 43
1%
NJ 40
1%
CT 36
1%
NE 30
1%
NV 26
1%
MT 22
1%
ME 20
0%
NM 20
0%
SD 18
0%
NH 17
0%
HI 16
0%
DE 14
0%
AK 14
0%
ND 14
0%
RI 14
0%
WY 10
0%
DC 9
0%
VT 6
0%