2000
#7,399
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,153
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.54
Rare Last name
Silas
Derived from Silvanus, a Roman name referring to a person who lives in or near a wood or forest.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,991 Americans carry the last name Silas. That puts it at #7,385 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.46 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 68,674 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Silas surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
5.0K
1 in 68,674
Census rank
#7,385
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,352 bearers of the surname Silas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.46 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7385th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Silas, the largest self-reported group is Black at 58.6%. The next largest groups are White (21.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (8.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Silas
The surname Silas is of Greek origin, with the earliest records dating back to the 1st century AD. It is derived from the Greek word "Silas," which means "forest" or "woody." This name was initially given as a personal name to individuals who lived near or in the forests.
In ancient times, the name Silas was mentioned in the Bible, specifically in the Book of Acts. One of the early followers of Christianity was called Silas, who traveled alongside the apostle Paul, spreading the teachings of Jesus Christ. This association with early Christianity likely contributed to the name's popularity and widespread use.
The surname Silas can be traced back to various regions in Greece, particularly in the areas around Athens and Thessaloniki. As the name spread across Europe during the Middle Ages, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Sylas, Sylo, and Silaz.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Silas can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This document mentions a landowner named Silas de Brampton, who held estates in the county of Northamptonshire.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Silas. One of the most famous was Silas Deane (1737-1789), an American merchant and politician who played a crucial role in securing French aid during the American Revolutionary War. Another prominent figure was Silas Weir Mitchell (1829-1914), an American physician and writer known for his pioneering work in neurological disorders and his contributions to the literary genre of psychological fiction.
In the realm of art, Silas Hoadley (1786-1857) was an American landscape painter renowned for his depictions of the Hudson River Valley and the Catskill Mountains. Silas Mainville Hubbard (1801-1876), on the other hand, was a respected American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives.
Lastly, Silas Deering (1836-1923) was a prominent American businessman and inventor who founded the Deering Harvester Company, which later merged with several other companies to form the International Harvester Company, a major agricultural machinery manufacturer.
These examples illustrate the rich history and diverse backgrounds of individuals who have carried the surname Silas, showcasing its enduring presence across various fields and cultures throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Silas
Among Census respondents with the surname Silas, the largest self-reported group is Black at 58.6%. The next largest groups are White (21.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (8.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Silas bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Silas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American58.6% · 2,551
- White21.8% · 947
- American Indian and Alaska Native8.2% · 357
- Two or more races5.1% · 220
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 207
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.6% · 70
Timeline
Historical Census data for Silas
Silas appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#7,080
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,729
+576 bearers (+13.9%)
Per 100,000 1.60
Rank movement Up 319 places
2020
#7,385
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,352
-377 bearers (-8.0%)
Per 100,000 1.46
Rank movement Down 305 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,399 | 4,153 | 1.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,080 | 4,729 | 1.60 | +576 bearers (+13.9%) | Up 319 places |
| 2020 | #7,385 | 4,352 | 1.46 | -377 bearers (-8.0%) | Down 305 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Silas surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,080 | #7,385 | -4.3% |
| Count | 4,729 | 4,352 | -8.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.60 | 1.46 | -9.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Silas bearers went from 4,729 to 4,352 (-8.0% change). The surname moved down 305 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,080 to #7,385.
FAQ
Silas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Silas?
Name Census estimates that about 4,991 living Americans carry the surname Silas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 68,674 residents.
How common is Silas?
Silas ranks #7,385 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.46 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,352 people with the surname Silas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,991), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.46 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.46 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Silas.
Has Silas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Silas went from 4,729 recorded bearers to 4,352. That is a decrease of 377 (-8.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,080 to #7,385.
What does the Census say about the background of Silas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Silas, the largest self-reported group is Black at 58.6%. The next largest groups are White (21.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (8.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Silas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 58.6% (2,551 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Silas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (58.6%), White (21.8%), American Indian/Alaska Native (8.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Silas (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Silas mean?
Derived from Silvanus, a Roman name referring to a person who lives in or near a wood or forest. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Silas (1.46 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Silas?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.