Silas
Silas was the 71st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 4,639 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 57 places. More babies were named Silas in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Aramaic, Greek, Latin
Say it SY-luhs /ˈsaɪləs/
- Rank in 2025
- #71 boys, up 29 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 4,639boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20254,639 babies
- Total since 1880
- 75,649babies recorded
What does the name Silas mean?
Silas is the name of a companion of Paul in the Acts of the Apostles; Paul's letters call the same man Silvanus. Wiktionary derives Silas from an Aramaic form of Saul, 'asked for'. Many name books instead connect it with the Latin Silvanus, the god of woods, from silva, 'forest', because the two names are used for one person. The New Testament text supports the double name but does not explain it.
Σίλας (Koine Greek, “Silas”)שְׁאִילָא (Aramaic, “form of Saul, 'asked for'”)Silvanus (Latin, “of the forest”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Two accounts: an Aramaic form of Saul (Wiktionary) or a short form of Latin Silvanus. The biblical Silas is called both Silas and Silvanus.
Related names: Silvanus, Saul, Silvan.
See also: Aramaic names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Silas', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- New Testament, Acts 15:22 (Greek text and translations via Bible Gateway), Bible Gateway
- New Testament, 2 Corinthians 1:19 (Greek text and translations via Bible Gateway), Bible Gateway
Silas popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 184 since 1924, 7 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #71 | 4,639 |
| 2020 | #100 | 3,645 |
| 2010 | #219 | 1,632 |
| 2000 | #602 | 328 |
| 1990 | #957 | 119 |
| 1980 | #818 | 116 |
| 1970 | #977 | 69 |
| 1960 | #861 | 79 |
| 1950 | #631 | 120 |
| 1940 | #538 | 120 |
| 1930 | #429 | 191 |
| 1920 | #398 | 218 |
| 1910 | #310 | 64 |
| 1900 | #249 | 68 |
| 1890 | #168 | 84 |
| 1880 | #140 | 98 |
How popular is Silas, counting every spelling?
Silas is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #63 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #71 for Silas on its own. Together these spellings went to 5,421 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silas | 4,639 | #71 | 20,819 |
| Sylas | 717 | #440 | 3,194 |
| Cylas | 65 | #2,188 | 255 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Silas?
4,639 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Silas (1.29 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Silas born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is about 1 in 41. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 2 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Silas.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Silas?
About 66,700 people born in the US named Silas are alive today, with a median age of 9; half are between 4 and 15. That makes Silas a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Silas by state
How common Silas was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Vermont (3.7×), Maine (3.0×), Wyoming (2.9×), West Virginia (2.7×), Montana (2.7×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in New Jersey, California, New York.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Silas: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Silas, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Silas · Sibling names for Silas
Questions about the name Silas
What does Silas mean?
The origin of Silas is uncertain: two accounts: an Aramaic form of Saul (Wiktionary) or a short form of Latin Silvanus. The biblical Silas is called both Silas and Silvanus.
How popular is the name Silas?
Silas was the 71st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 4,639 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 57 places. More babies were named Silas in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Silas a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Silas in the US.
Where is Silas most popular?
In 2021–2025, Silas was most common in Vermont (8.92 per 1,000 boys), followed by Maine and Wyoming.