Sylas
Of Greek origin meaning "from the forest" or "woodsy".
Name Census estimates that about 8,155 living Americans carry the first name Sylas. It sits at #487 in the overall ranking, outside the top 50 but still well-represented. It is a predominantly male name (99.2% of registrations). The average person named Sylas today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sylas births was 2023 (671 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sylas. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Although Sylas is used almost entirely for boys, the SSA data does show 62 girls registered with the name since 1880.
- • Sylas is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 10 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
8.2K
~ 1 in 42,030 Americans
Peak year
2023
671 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#487
Tracked since 1975
Gender
Gender distribution for Sylas
Out of the 8,222 babies given the name Sylas since 1880, 99.2% were registered as male. The name sits firmly on the male side of the spectrum, with only a handful of female registrations across the entire dataset.
Sylas as a male name
- Ranked #487 in 2024
- 633 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (661 births)
Sylas as a female name
- Ranked #10,965 in 2024
- 9 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (10 births)
Popularity
Sylas: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sylas from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 4,037 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Sylas remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sylas by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Sylas during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Sylas' live
The SSA's state-level files cover 46 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Sylas, while New Hampshire, Alaska, Hawaii recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 150 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Sylas
The given name Sylas has its origins in the ancient Greek language and culture. It is derived from the Greek word "sylas", which means "woods" or "forest". This suggests that the name may have been associated with those who lived in or worked closely with the woods, such as hunters, gatherers, or foresters.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sylas can be found in the New Testament of the Bible. In the Book of Acts, Sylas, also known as Silvanus, was a prominent figure who accompanied the Apostle Paul on his missionary journeys in the 1st century AD. He is described as a respected leader and teacher within the early Christian church.
During the Middle Ages, the name Sylas remained relatively uncommon in most parts of Europe. However, it gained some popularity in certain regions, particularly in England and Scotland. One notable historical figure bearing this name was Sylas Tompkins Doolittle, an American lawyer and judge who lived from 1770 to 1838. He served as a judge in the New York Supreme Court of Judicature.
In the 19th century, the name Sylas gained more widespread recognition, particularly in the United States. Sylas Wright, an American politician and judge, served as the 12th Governor of New York from 1845 to 1846. Another prominent figure was Sylas G. Hubbard, an American politician and lawyer who lived from 1828 to 1907 and served as a member of the United States House of Representatives.
Moving into the 20th century, one of the most well-known individuals with the name Sylas was Sylas Deane, an American merchant and diplomat who played a crucial role in securing French aid during the American Revolutionary War. He lived from 1737 to 1789 and served as the first official United States diplomat to France.
Another notable figure was Sylas Craft, an American businessman and philanthropist who lived from 1876 to 1959. He was the founder of the Citizen's National Bank in Los Angeles and played a significant role in the development of the city's banking industry.
While the name Sylas has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, it has been borne by several notable individuals across various fields, including politics, law, business, and diplomacy. Despite its ancient Greek origins, the name has transcended cultural boundaries and has been adopted in various parts of the world, often associated with a connection to nature and the outdoors.
People
Sylas + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sylas as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Sylas: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sylas?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 8,155 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sylas going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 42,030 US residents.
Is Sylas a common name?
We classify Sylas as "Rare". It ranks above 97.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 8,222 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sylas most popular?
The single biggest year for Sylas was 2023, when 671 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sylas is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Sylas a male name?
Yes, 99.2% of people registered as Sylas in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.