boy's name
Silas
SY-lus
- Origin Aramaic
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 82,575
the United States
#71
2025 births
Silas is a boy's name generally understood as a Greek form of the Aramaic Seila, itself corresponding to the Hebrew Saul, meaning "asked for" or "prayed for." In Acts he is Paul's companion, imprisoned with him at Philippi.
- Silas is a name of Aramaic origin.
- Peaked in 2025, when 4,646 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 714 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Silas over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 775 |
| 1890s | 631 |
| 1900s | 509 |
| 1910s | 1,553 |
| 1920s | 2,036 |
| 1930s | 1,482 |
| 1940s | 1,276 |
| 1950s | 1,050 |
| 1960s | 753 |
| 1970s | 922 |
| 1980s | 1,175 |
| 1990s | 1,907 |
| 2000s | 7,326 |
| 2010s | 29,704 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 24,550 |
What Silas means
Silas most likely means asked for or prayed for, inherited from Saul through Aramaic. A competing view connects it to the Latin Silvanus, from silva, meaning wood or forest, and the New Testament itself uses both names for the same man.
Where Silas comes from
Silas appears in the Acts of the Apostles as a leading member of the Jerusalem church who travels with Paul, and is imprisoned with him at Philippi in the episode where an earthquake opens the prison doors. Paul's letters refer to the same man as Silvanus, which has led to two readings of the name: either Silas is a Greek rendering of an Aramaic form of Saul, meaning asked for, and Silvanus is a Latin name adopted alongside it, or Silas is itself a short form of Silvanus, from silva, a wood. Most scholars favor the first. The name entered English use after the Reformation and gained literary standing through George Eliot's Silas Marner in 1861.
Silas in use
The New Testament calls the same man both Silas and Silvanus, which is why sources disagree about which name is the original.
How popular is Silas?
In 2025, Silas was given to 4,646 babies in the United States, ranking #71 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Silas is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Silas
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Silas also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Silas over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Silas
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Silas in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Silas
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Silas — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Silas
What does the name Silas mean?
Silas most likely means "asked for," inherited from the Hebrew Saul through Aramaic.
Is Silas the same as Silvanus?
The New Testament uses both for the same companion of Paul, which is why the derivation is debated.
Who was Silas in the Bible?
A companion of Paul, imprisoned with him at Philippi in the Acts of the Apostles.
How popular is the name Silas?
In 2025, Silas was given to 4,646 babies in the United States, ranking #71 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Is Silas a girl's or a boy's name?
Silas is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Silas?
Silas has 2 syllables.
When was Silas most popular?
Silas peaked in 2025, when 4,646 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Silas?
Silas is usually shortened to Si.
Is Silas a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Silas currently ranks #71 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.