Silas

In the Biblical New Testament, the apostle Paul went on his second missionary trip with a companion. He eventually became canonized as a saint, but his name became popular much later. 

Silas is a possible diminutive of the also-Biblical Silvanus, meaning "of the forest" or "prayed for." Regardless of meaning, the was first used after the Protestant Reformation in the 1600s. Yet, Silas only became somewhat popular by the Victorian Era, during which it declined in England. The name was also somewhat common in the United States, where it ranked at #139 in 1880. 

Silas may not have been too common in real life, but it gained a notable literary namesake: George Eliot's 1861 novel Silas Marner. Silas later appeared in Dan Brown's 2003 novel: The Da Vinci Code.

Plus, it was during the publication of The Da Vinci Code when Silas was on the rise. After hitting its low point in the 1960s, Silas rose again from the 1990s until its top 100 entry in 2020. The name is also close to the top 100 in Canada as well as ranking on the top 1000 fringes in England.

Beyond the English world, Silas has been used in Brazil, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Norway, and Switzerland. As with its usage, most of Silas's international variants hail from European languages. These include Italian/Spanish Silvio and French Sylvain. 

In an age when parents seek a balance between the traditional and the extraordinary, Silas's popularity makes sense. As with any top 100 name, though, Silas might be too popular for some parents.

SPELLINGS:

Sylas

VARIANTS:

Silvanus, Silvio, Sylvain

STYLES:

Biblical, Saintly, Vintage

SISTERS:

Ava, Eloise, Luna, Phoebe, Delilah, Olive, Naomi, Gemma 

BROTHERS:

Jude, Asher, Sebastian, Ezra, Bennett, Levi, Gideon, Micah

ALTERNATIVES:

Boaz, Cyrus, Giles, Linus, Samson, Silvan, Simon, Titus

FURTHER RESOURCES:

Green, Clare. "Silas." Names, Nameberry, 20 Apr. 2024, https://nameberry.com/b/boy-baby-name-silas. 

Nickerson, Eleanor. "Top 200 Most Popular Names in England and Wales in 1840-Part 1." Name Data, British Baby Names, 28 Aug. 2018, https://www.britishbabynames.com/blog/2018/08/top-200-most-popular-names-in-england-and-wales-in-1840-part-1.html. 

Nickerson, Eleanor. "Top 200 Most Popular Names in England and Wales in 1880." Name Data, British Baby Names, 12 Apr. 2013, https://www.britishbabynames.com/blog/2013/04/top-200-most-popular-names-in-england-and-wales-in-1880.html. 

"Silas." Names, Behind the Name, 9 Jun. 2023, https://www.behindthename.com/name/silas. 

What do you think about Silas?