Silas

Silas: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “of the forest”
Origin: Latin
Say it: SYE-ləs · 2 syllables
Used for: Boys

From the New Testament name Silas, probably a shortened form of Silvanus, a Latin name meaning of the forest. It was borne by an early Christian missionary companion of Paul.

English names Greek names Hebrew names Names meaning nature Names meaning tree Classic names Biblical names International names

How popular is Silas?

20241,239 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Silas in 20244,124

2024 rank#81 boys

Peak year2023

Total US babies since 188070,949

Silas is rising: use over the last five years is 1.7× what it was a decade earlier.

Names like Silas

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Sylasof the forest · Greek
Lucasfrom Lucania · Latin
Leolion · Latin
Julianyouthful, downy-bearded · Latin
Anthonyof the Antonius family · Latin
RomanRoman, from Rome · Latin
Bennettblessed · Latin
Adrianfrom Hadria · Latin

Silas questions

What does the name Silas mean?

Silas means "of the forest". It comes from Latin. From the New Testament name Silas, probably a shortened form of Silvanus, a Latin name meaning of the forest. It was borne by an early Christian missionary companion of Paul.

Is Silas a boy or girl name?

Silas is mainly a boy's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Silas?

4,124 US babies were named Silas in 2024. Its peak year was 2023.

How do you pronounce Silas?

Silas is usually pronounced SYE-ləs.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.