Boy · #78 in 2026

Silas

Silas is a common given name and a lesser-known surname. It is a cognate of Silvanus.

Current Rank
#78
Peak Rank
#78 (2026)
Total Babies
79K
5-Yr Trend
+15%
1924
First Year
2026
Last Year
2022
Peak Year
#5061
Peak Rank
214
Total Count
18
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Silas

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Silas is a common given name and a lesser-known surname. It is a cognate of Silvanus.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology
The name comes from the early Christian disciple Silas . He is consistently called "Silas" in Acts, but the Latin Silvanus, which means "of the forest," is always used by Paul and in the First Epistle of Peter; it is likely that "Silvanus" is the Romanized version of the original "Silas," or that "Silas" is the Greek nickname for "Silvanus." It has been suggested that Silas is the Greek version of the Aramaic "Seila," a version of the Hebrew "Saul". The Latin name "Silvanus" may be derived from pre-Roman Italian languages.

The Story of Silas

Silas first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 98 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 4,250 Silass were born — ranking #78 that year. As of 2026, Silas ranks #78 for baby boys with 4,250 births, rising sharply (+15% over the past five years). In total, more than 79K Silass have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Silas

Phonetically similar names — useful when Silas is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Silas

What does the name Silas mean?
Silas is a common given name and a lesser-known surname. It is a cognate of Silvanus.
How popular is Silas in 2026?
In 2026, Silas ranks #78 among boys' names in the U.S., with 4,250 babies given the name that year.
When was Silas most popular?
Silas reached its peak popularity in 2026, ranking #78 that year with 4,250 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Silas most popular?
Silas has historically been most popular in Vermont, Montana, Kentucky. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Silas.
Is Silas a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Silas is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Silas?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Silas include Jay, Alton, Dean. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

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About the name Silas

Silas is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 79K births in the dataset. Silas's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #78. Use the chart and map above to compare Silas's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.