Silas

SYE-las

Aramaic, Latin, Greek

"of the forest; or prayed for"

Silas Origin and Meaning

The name Silas is a boy's name of English, Latin origin meaning "of the forest; or prayed for".

Silas is both a mythological and Biblical name, hitting its highest popularity point ever in the US last year. Now ranking firmly in the Top 100, Silas is a longstanding favorite with Nameberry visitors.

A name of debated – or possibly multiple – origins. Silas may be a simplified form of the Latin Silvanus, meaning "of the forest", or alternatively may be a Greek form of the Aramaic Seila or Hebrew Saul, meaning "asked for, prayed for".

In mythology, Silvanus is the Roman god of trees and his name was originally bestowed on people who lived in wooded areas or who worked with wood.

Silas's Biblical roots can be traced to Saul, the name of the first king of Israel, and also the original Hebrew name of Paul the Apostle. In the New Testament, St. Silas was a leading member of the early Christian community who accompanied Paul on his second missionary journey.

Silas is also associated with the indelible albino monk in The Da Vinci Code, is the leading character in William D. Howell's novel The Rise and Fall of Silas Lapham, and the title character of George Eliot's Silas Marner.

Silas Popularity

• 87 US 2022
• 1 Nameberry 2024
• 51 Future 2028
• 736 England 2021
• 126 Germany 2016
• 179 Switzerland 2022
• 127 Canada 2022