| Silas | Marcus | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Of the forest | Of Mars |
| Origin | Latin | latin |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | SY-lus | MAR-kus |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2025 (4,639) | 1984 (5,996) |
| In 2025 | 4,639 | 1,341 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Silas | Marcus |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 24,464 | 8,879 |
| 2010s | 29,629 | 24,143 |
| 2000s | 7,308 | 35,673 |
| 1990s | 1,907 | 46,497 |
| 1980s | 1,175 | 51,807 |
| 1970s | 922 | 39,464 |
| 1960s | 753 | 14,545 |
| 1950s | 1,050 | 8,694 |
| 1940s | 1,276 | 3,266 |
| 1930s | 1,482 | 2,298 |
| 1920s | 2,031 | 3,029 |
| 1910s | 1,553 | 2,051 |
| 1900s | 509 | 482 |
| 1890s | 631 | 405 |
| 1880s | 775 | 424 |
Silas is generally linked to the Latin Silvanus, “of the forest” or “wood,” and appears in the New Testament as a companion of Paul.
A Roman praenomen derived from Mars, the Roman god of war; the association is explicitly warlike. The underlying root is otherwise uncertain.
Silas is more popular than Marcus today: about 4,639 US babies were given the name Silas in 2025, compared with 1,341 named Marcus.
Silas means Of the forest (Latin origin), while Marcus means Of Mars (latin origin).
In US records, Silas first appears in 1880 and Marcus in 1880, so Silas has the longer recorded history.