Fun Facts About the Name Silus
- 230 babies named Silus: U.S. records list 230 babies given the name Silus from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Silus Mean?
Silus is a rare name, and two different explanations are given for it. One treats it as a variant spelling of Silas: Silas comes from the Greek Σίλας, a short form of Σιλουανός (Silouanos), which renders the Latin Silvanus, a name built on silva, "wood" or "forest." On that reading the meaning is "of the woods." The other explanation connects the name to the Latin adjective silus, "snub-nosed," which was also used as a Roman nickname or cognomen. These two explanations rest on words that are not related to each other, and the origin of the Latin silus itself is not securely settled.
Silus Name History & Origins
In Latin, Silus is recorded as a cognomen, the third name of a Roman citizen and often originally a nickname. Pliny the Elder, writing in the first century, mentions a Marcus Sergius Silus, a cavalry officer of the Second Punic War who lost his right hand and is said to have had an iron hand made so that he could keep fighting. A cognomen of this kind usually came from a physical trait, and silus, "snub-nosed," fits that pattern. Whether the modern name descends from this cognomen is not known.
The English given name Silus is uncommon and is usually treated as a spelling of Silas. Silas appears in the Acts of the Apostles as a companion of Paul on his journeys; Paul's letters call the same man Silvanus, which is why the short Greek form and the Latin name became linked. The spelling Silus is rare, and how it came into modern use is not clear - it may have grown out of the Roman cognomen or simply as a respelling of Silas.
How Popular is the Name Silus?
Silus has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2013. Its best rank was #4,946 in 2013.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #8,156 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2024 | #8,843 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2023 | #9,608 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2022 | #8,873 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2021 | #10,613 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2020 | #9,425 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2019 | #8,770 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2018 | #5,740 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2017 | #6,290 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2016 | #6,669 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2015 | #5,948 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2014 | #5,955 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2013 | #4,946 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2012 | #10,589 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2011 | #5,906 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2010 | #6,316 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2009 | #7,615 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2008 | #10,862 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 2007 | #7,508 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 2006 | #11,846 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2005 | #9,989 | 7 | 0.0004% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Silus Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are spiritually intense and can sting or charm. Your name brings love and new starts into life and attracts money. In business, you are the creator and promoter of original ideas and usually enjoy considerable financial success. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.
Position and social status is very important for you and you are always looking for way to improve your position in society. You have power and ability to chose your own destiny and achieve anything you want in life. You can expand in any direction according to your will and the set of values. You have passion for justice and belong to the position of authority. You have an inherent courage and endurance to accomplish "The Impossible Dream". With the power comes responsibility. You hold keys to the material world, but with this gift comes high spiritual responsibility to be fair and true to others. You are philosophical and mature, determined and intense with a desire to endure, often religious.
✦ Silus's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Silus's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.