Dear Swistle,
Please help! My husband and I our expecting our first child in late August. We don’t know the gender, but have easily settled on a couple of options for a girl’s name and we thought we had settled on a boy’s name ages ago, but now we’re facing the oldest naming dilemma in the book: We’ve had the perfect name for us in mind for years—Silas—and now it’s getting really popular.
Popularity per se doesn’t bother me, but excessive trendiness and date-stamping do, so what I’m hoping you and your excellent readers can help me figure out is how our chosen name reads and how trendy/date-stamped it’s going to feel decades from now.
Years ago, we decided on Silas for a hypothetical future son because the Biblical association was very meaningful for us; because it has a long history; because it’s not aggressively masculine but still distinctively a man’s name; and because it’s relatively easy to spell and pronounce. (We have a hyphenated last name that starts with a one-syllable word that sounds like Rau. The second word is two syllables and starts with an H. Neither is spelled or pronounced intuitively.) Finally, we liked that the name was familiar but not over-saturated.
But, of course, in the past seven years since we settled on Silas, the name has gone from being ranked in the mid-300s on the SAA list with 937 births nationally to being ranked #116 with 3367 births. In the part of the US where we live, it’s even more popular: #72, #78, and #70 our tri-state region. I don’t yet know of any Silases in our particular community, and I wouldn’t even mind if I did know of a few others unless they were in our immediate circle of friends or lived on our block. I had even anticipated that the name would become more popular for a variety of reasons; what I did not anticipate was Duck Dynasty, where Uncle Si is a featured character and has given the name a bump I wasn’t expecting (and an association that I don’t really care for.)
I should also say that, even without DD, we weren’t planning on calling him “Si” regularly. Although we wouldn’t be opposed to his name being shortened for ease occasionally, we don’t love the nickname. (Although that’s also a question we have: Some names—even two-syllable names—seem to get shortened automatically. Will that happen with Silas? Will we become those parents who spend decades insisting that Chris is really Christopher?)
Again, it’s not the popularity I mind—it’s the type of popularity or what that popularity will communicate to others. I read (or have read) Silas as being part of a trend of slightly antique-sounding Biblical names—like Ezra, Levi, or Micah—and I’m okay with that; I also saw it as connected to those gentler gentlemanly s-ending names, like Miles, Lucas, etc. But with the sharpness of its rise in popularity, I’m worried that I’m reading Silas wrong or that there are other readings of the name that I don’t see. Specifically, I’m worried about Duck Dynasty becoming its major and defining association. My husband thinks that it’s Biblical roots and long history trump Duck Dynasty, as well as any other trendiness it might be gathering and will keep it from feeling too painfully of-its-moment in the decades ahead. (We don’t want to it become the 2010s equivalent of what Willard was in the 1910s or Chad was in the 1970s.) We would really appreciate thoughts—and even some consensus—from you and your readers. Our two big questions are:
1) Do people associate the name Silas with Duck Dynasty (and, if not, what are their associations/sense of the name)?
2) Will Silas’s popularity now make it seem dated and passé in the future or does its origin and history give it more longevity?
We’re feeling short on other finalist names at the moment—this one has been “The Name” for so long—but our next top contender is Whitman (although that has its own set of issues for us). We also like Everett, Wesley, and August. We like but have had to rule out Theo, Isaac, Lincoln, Henry, and Emil. If this baby is a girl, her name will likely be Pearl, June, or Clara. We don’t care for Cyrus, which a few people have suggested as an alternative.
We would be so grateful to hear your thoughts on this and insights from your commentators, too and maybe also a poll about the Silas/Duck Dynasty connection (or just about Silas’s trendiness in general.)
Many thanks!
The RHs
The trouble with questions about the future of a name is that none of us can answer them. We can all guess, and some of our guesses will be right, but we’ll have to wait and see who wins—and by then those babies we helped name will be grown and worrying about THEIR babies’ names.
Back when I first heard the name Braden, I didn’t guess that it would become a “one of the -adens” name. When I first heard the name Noah on a little boy, I would never have predicted it would be #1 in 2013. I remember thinking Olivia was a very daring choice (I had a very strong association with Olivia from Sesame Street), and I remember thinking Jack/Max/Sam sounded extremely fresh and new. I know how I felt about those names back then, and I know how I feel about them now, but I STILL don’t know how I’ll feel about them in another fifteen or twenty years.
“How a name will feel later on” is one of the hardest categories to predict. All the parents choosing the name Jennifer as a distinctive and unusual name had no idea we’d be looking back on it mostly for its abundance. Names chosen for their youth and glamor back in the 1940s now seem like Grandparent Names. I can look at the chart of Silas and try to guess if its popularity line will continue, but trying to guess the image people will have of the name in 30 years is like trying to guess how our fashions will look to people in 30 years: some of our clothes will seem like good choices, most will seem like boring and unfashionable choices, and some will have our children and grandchildren wheezing with laughter and unable to BELIEVE that ANYONE would EVER wear such a thing.
There is reassurance here, though: when there’s no way to know, there’s no need to spend too much time worrying about it. We can try to choose our current clothes based on what our grandchildren will think of them later, but I’d say that’s a waste of time and a shaky goal. We do want to do our best to choose names that will wear well over time, and we can apply some good solid sense to that process, but most of it is still guesswork: we can’t know how date-stamped a name will seem later, when we’re still in the middle of its fashionable time. Maybe in 30 years the name Silas will seem like “part of that whole Hipster Biblical trend,” or maybe Duck Dynasty will have made it seem like a hunting/beards kind of name, or maybe we’re on the verge of an -as trend and THAT will be its most identifying factor, or maybe it’ll be one of those satisfying choices that is in fashion at the time but never baffles/amuses anyone later on. None of us want to look FOOLISH with our choices, but I don’t think the name Silas will make you look foolish.
I think it helps to think about how few names HAVE ended up looking foolish. I can think of many that seem linked to a certain generation, but very few that are therefore embarrassing: names just naturally come in and out of fashion like that, and there’s no avoiding it. The name Henry was once extremely common, then became old-mannish, then became startlingly fresh and new, then became the kind of name where parents wonder if it’s too common to use—and soon, as all those baby Henrys grow up and become grandparents, the name will once again seem old-mannish, because all the HENRYS will be old mannish. It’s the life-cycle of names.
I don’t know if Silas will be shortened to Si/Sy or not, but I don’t think you’ll have to fight it the way you would have had to in the 1970s if you wanted a Christopher-not-Chris. Now is a good time to use a name without a nickname,: some kids use them, but many choose not to. A Jonathan can easily be a Jonathan, not a Jon or a Jonny; a James can easily be a James, not a Jim or Jimmy or Jamie. But whether an individual person is called by a nickname depends on a number of factors, including whether the person in question likes it or not. The name Silas doesn’t seem like an automatic-shorten name to me: I can see people using Si/Sy, but it’s not as intuitive a combination as Jackson/Jack or Samuel/Sam.
You mention the current hipness of biblical names, and that’s one that interests me, too. I remember thinking of biblical names in two categories: the ones that were so common they didn’t even seem like biblical names (Matthew, David, Andrew) and the ones that were way too biblical to use for an actual child (Ezekiel, Ezra, Moses)—and THAT sure changed. And now we have a new question to answer: how will these names look to us when we’re looking back on them? Will we see them as hip trendy names, or will they keep their biblical/ancient reputations? Or both? Or perhaps we won’t we give it much thought at all, because all those names will just feel like the regular names people have.
For me, the primary association with Silas is the Biblical Name category. I might wonder if the parents’ motivation was primarily fashion or primarily faith, but that’s the association for me. I don’t think of Duck Dynasty—but then, I haven’t seen the show, and that makes a huge difference. I agree with your husband, though, that the long history of the name is very likely to trump any short-term association. Even if, briefly, the name is associated with a television show, I don’t think that’s going to STICK the way thousands of years of usage will.
It may very well seem a little dated later on, however. Most names do. Even classics go in and out of style: remember when the name William felt classic but not at all fashionable? Very few names escape this, just as very few clothing items stay in fashion decade after decade: there’s a natural tendency to get tired of something and move on to the next thing. The difference is between the things we come back to again and again, and the things we feel grateful we weren’t photographed wearing. With a name like Silas, history shows us that the name goes in and out of style but we keep pulling it out for re-use; that’s a very good sign for its future.
Let’s cut-and-paste your two main questions here again, to remind commenters:
1) Do people associate the name Silas with Duck Dynasty (and, if not, what are their associations/sense of the name)?
2) Will Silas’s popularity now make it seem dated and passé in the future or does its origin and history give it more longevity?
And let’s have a poll to help us answer the first question:
I actually think of Silas from the tv show Weeds – he is the older son on the show. Perhaps that has contributed to the rise in popularity? I don’t see any negative association with the name, but then again, I don’t watch Duck Dynasty!
same! I don’t watch Duck Dynasty but just finished binge-watching Weeds on Netflix. :) So Silas makes me think of that show instead and I went to school with a Silas about 7 years ago.
This exactly! I don’t watch Duck Dynasty (and have no plans to start) but I’ve been bingeing on Weeds on Netflix!
It’s a great name!
That was my exact though too! Never seen Duck Dynasty but Silas in Weeds is my only thought when I hear the name. If you’re not familiar, he was a little dumb in the beginning but grew into his own and became a great, strong character. Oh, and he was super hot: (www.imdb.com/name/nm1446060/?ref_=tt_cl_t2).
I agree with PP’s: I think of Silas from Weeds! I have never seen Duck Dynasty and do not intend to. Silas from Weeds was an attractive young guy, and I enjoyed the humor of the show. I don’t think it is a negative association. If I put this out of my mind, I love the name Silas. We could never use it, because we have a Si- last name, so that wouldn’t work. But honestly, if it were not for that I do think I would add it to our list. The rank on the popularity risk should not be an issue. You need to extrapolate from that ranking how many actual babies were named Silas in your state, the country, etc. I definitely would not worry about it being ranked in the 70’s.
I agree with you husband that the historical context would trump any flash-in-the-pan fame of Duck Dynasty. I would add that one of our girl names is shared with a prominent political pundit whom I would not like to associate with, but I do not think that would stop me from using it.
My main concern would be that I don’t think it jives very well with your girls names, which may or may not ever be an issue. Cyrus is a distinctively Persian name and probably would not be appropriate.
Good luck!
I am reading through older posts and getting caught up, so my comments are really late, but I just wanted to comment on the name Cyrus. It’s a favorite of mine, and yes, it’s Persian, but it has a long history of use in the U.S. It has never left the Top 1,000 since 1880 (in 1880 it was ranked #216 in fact) and was ranked #436 in 2013. In fact, I know someone who named their baby Cyrus this year. There is also a (not-great) character named Cyrus on the popular show Scandal. Cyrus the Great himself was quite the humanitarian and I would not be ashamed at all to name a baby after him.
I think it’s perfectly appropriate to use as a baby name, even if one is not Persian, and is a lovely name with ancient history to back it up!
Same here! But I’ve never watched Duck Dynasty and I am willing to bet that by the time the writer’s son gets to an age where it matters DD will be a footnote in the history of bad TV.
I don’t think you need to worry about Silas becoming a one-in-every-class name. I’ve only met one kid Silas (5 or 6 years old). But as for whether it will be a born-in-the-2010s name, I really couldn’t guess. It sounds as if it’s the one you really want to use. I would give that the most weight and go ahead and use it.
When I think of the name Silas, 3 associations come to mind – the Biblical character, the book “Silas Mariner” and the son in the show “Weeds.” The name that seems trendy due to Duck Dynasty is Jace. Anyway, to me the Duck Dynasty connection is no reason not to use the name – the association isn’t very strong with one person like Oprah, Madonna, or Whoopie would be.
Names that become dated in my mind are ones that become very popular for a period of time and then make a rather sudden, significant drop in popularity. For example, Michael, Matthew, Daniel, etc. are rather timeless since they have been steadily popular with out a very specific peak and then sudden drop off. Names like Mason, Jacob, and Noah seem like they will be more dated and that in 20 years you will expect someone with the those names to have been born between 1995 and 2015.
Silas as not really moved into that category so you should use the name you love with confidence,
I do watch Duck Dynasty and I didn’t even realize that Uncle Si’s name is actually Silas. To me they seem like very different names. Like the above commenters, I think of Weeds more if I’m going to associate it with a character, but I don’t consider that to be a problem.
Here’s an example of parental worrying that never came to be- I was born in 1975 and my mom really wanted to name me Kelsey but was concerned that people would think I was named after the bar in All in the Family. She didn’t know any actual girls named Kelsey and that was her major association. So I’m Kelli, which I spell with an I in an attempt to distinguish a bit from the thousands of other Kellys born in the 70s, and I have NEVER heard anyone named Kelsey complain that they were named after a bar. I wouldn’t even know it WAS a bar if I hadn’t heard my naming story.
If you love Silas, go for it. :)
I didn’t know I was named after a bar. :)
I think Silas will be time-stamped given its big rise in popularity…. but I’d be surprised if it continued to rise much, and I while I think people will eventually associate it with this period of time it will be just a nod, and not an overwhelming “oh, THAT name” feeling. More like a Keith than a Chad.
I’ve read a lot about the Duck Dynasty controversies but never seen the show, and the only character I’m familiar with is Phil. As the poll suggests, I’m guessing most non-viewers also aren’t familiar with the less controversial players. I did some light googling and it looks like Uncle Si is mostly referenced by nickname–I would say you’re safe in this regard, as Si is so often short for Simon.
The name Silas pops up a lot in my family tree, so like many other biblical names I associate it with Southern sharecroppers (post-Emancipation) and farmers (several generations later). So those are my primary associations with the name, though that obviously isn’t universal.
I think it’s a very pretty name!
I associate Silas with the classic book by George Eliot, “Silas Marner”, required reading in an English literature class. I’ve never watched Duck Dynasty, but It’s a popular reality show, so I’m guessing there are some who might assume you chose the name because you heard it there. Unfortunately, that’s true with many appealing vintage names: parents want to use them — and often do — but find that others assume they’ve chosen the name due to a currently popular book, movie and/or tv show.
Silas has been in the SSA top 1000 for every year since 1880 except for 1967, which makes it almost an “ever-present” name on the list. Still I’ve never met or heard of anyone with that name, and I’m wondering how many of those who comment will have met a Silas born before 2000. It may be that Silas will increase in popularity for a while and then decline again, so that Silas could long be associated with the 20-teens as a period when it was very popular. I think that’s a risk with any name that’s just becoming popular (in or approaching the top 100 for the first time ever), but less so with a name that has been in use for centuries.
Here’s a very positive profile of the name Silas: http://www.ohbabynames.com/meaning/name/silas/1440#.U706asYahZg
Your reasons for liking and choosing Silas are very sound. The more parents think about and research -any- name, the more likely that some concern will develop, but I think Silas has more positives than concerns for you. I’d stick with Silas if this baby is a boy.
(PS I live in that tri-state area too… and haven’t met or heard of any young boys named Silas.)
I had a similar issue come up when I was pregnant with my first. My husband and I had picked out a girls name that we absolutely loved. However, it’s popularity was quickly rising. A colleague of mine even had a girl a month before we did, and she used “our” girl name: Evelyn. I was devastated for many reasons because I was so in love with the name, but didn’t want to battle it’s popularity. Going into the hospital, we decided we would likely still use it and just deal with the popularity. We had a boy.
Since then, I’ve had another child and Evelyn didn’t make it onto our list for the second baby because the popularity of the name has continued to rise. We had another boy.
Now, as we think about having more children and potential names, Evelyn is sneaking back on the girl list. I still really do love it and while it is popular, I don’t seem to come across tons of them. A few, but most of them a little bit older than now.
All that to say, I would go for using the name. I don’t feel like Silas is overused and while I see it trending to more popular, I think it’s a wonderful name. The fact that your area doesn’t have any also helps, in my mind. I do not associate it with DD at all…and Si is not an immediate nickname that comes to mind. It’s a classy, wonderful, Biblical name that holds more meaning than some tv show. I also think that you will find that if you do have a girl, you will come back to wanting to use it for a future child.
I’ve only seen a few episodes of DD, and would not at all associate the name Silas with it. Especially since it seems like the guy on there is mostly called Si. I think Silas is a great name, and it seems like its rise to popularity has been more slow and steady than a sudden, trendy, jump. Which makes me think it would not feel like a decade specific name. I have a five, three, and one year old and have yet to meet a Silas in the five and under crowd.
I have a son with a really commonly nicknamed name, Samuel. We call him by his full name and introduce him as such. Even in the daycare center no one calls him Sam or Sammy. He is in a room with a William and a Michael and a Maxwell with nary a Will, Mike, or Max in contemplation. I think nn are less commonly assumed than they once were. I also wouldn’t worry too much about a Silas time stamp. I tend to think of those names as being either by far #1 names or newish names. For example I think Addison for a girl will be of this moment more than say Noah, because though a similar number of Addisons and Noahs all the Addisons are under 5 and the Noahs range from 63 to 1.5. I think Silas is more of the moment than it used to be but I would argue it is far less date specific than your alternate choices of Whitman, Everett, or August.
I agree that Silas is known-but-not-boring, and that your other boy choices are far more trendy and time-stamped.
Absolutely this. Your other choices seems ores fits for your criteria than Silas.
I know nothing about the history of this name – my association is with the albino monk in The Da Vinci Code.
One of the upsides of popularity is it means your child’s name will be recognised and therefore spelt and pronounced correctly – for this reason, the level of popularity of Silas can be a big positive.
I had the The Da Vinci Code association as well. While reading that book I remember not knowing how to pronounce Silas. Now, I even know a 3 year old Silas and think the name is great. By great I mean who cares if it has a spike in popularity…it has history! I do not watch DD, so no comments there.
Well I had to google to find out what Duck Dynasty even was…….I guess age, temperament, geography, and proclivities have all rendered me culturally marginal.
But: Nameberry just the other day published their “hottest” names of 2014 and Silas ranked #7. What they mean by this is that Silas is the 7th most searched name on their website.
It’s a great name. It’s one of those golden mean names–still only used for boys, not uber-macho, recognizable. Even if Silas does become even more trendy (and this does seem quite likely), I’d still use it. If you want something timeless and not trendy, I think you have to move to boring: Carl, John, Mark, Paul. Or Dennis.
I think you’re still safe to use Silas. It is getting more popular, but I see it more as in fashion rather than just a fad. I think of fads as the -aden group. Aiden, Brayden, Cayden… I think those will be time-stamped eventually. Biblical names are coming back in fashion, they just sound fresh now. I don’t think that necessarily makes them trendy. They’ve been in the cycle before and we don’t think of them as a certain decade, so I don’t think we will in 20 years either. I think most names that get dated are “new” names that get popular really fast then fade, like Linda, Lisa, Barbara, Jennifer. I don’t see a more established name having the same fate.
I think of Silas Marner and the folk song “Paul and Silas” so…
I vote go for it.
The lyrics to the Paul and Silas folk song
Really thoughtful post. Agree with all those who said they think of Silas Marner long before DD.
Ack! Just thought of another current reference (which, like DD, will probably not be relevant to your son) is a character on Vampire Diaries named Silas. Mentioned here: http://uproxx.com/webculture/2014/07/the-fastest-rising-name-for-baby-boys-in-2014-archer/
I’m in rural eastern U.S. and I’m a 28yo female, if it matters. When I hear Silas, all I can think of is the creepy albino guy from “The Da Vinci Code” movie (and book). The one who regularly beats himself bloody as part of his religion.
Yes! That was my first association as well. I’ve never met a Silas in real life (and I have an almost 2 year old, so I hear lots of kid names). I’ve never seen DD so I would never make that association.
I totally forgot about that character—and I read the book and watched the movie at least a couple times! I guess that just goes to show you that what makes a lasting impression on one person is easily forgotten by someone else. I’ve never seen DD or Weeds, but those associations probably won’t last either. I think most pop culture associations are fleeting and they vary from person to person. (Except maybe Hannibal. Don’t name your kid Hannibal.)
I also worry about trendiness and tend to shy away from names that may be time-stamped. But I don’t think Silas is one of those names. I’ve never met anyone of any age named Silas, so to me it sounds familiar and friendly. It seems like the name Silas has a lot of personal significance and positive associations for you, and I think those things outweigh the things you’re worried about.
Yes! The Da Vinci Code was the only association with Silas that I have too. It is a nice name, but unfortunately I always think of that character.
Same for me – the DaVinci Code is my only association with this name. While this is a negative association for me it obviously isn’t one that stands out to you. In short forget what other people may read into the name and be confident in your own choice and the meaning it has for you.
Now this is in no way a scientific opinion and only very loosely linked to history, but for centuries the Bible was a major tome used for naming a child. See; Mary’s, John, Paul, Matthew, Luke, Mark, etc. So while celebrities may come and go, and spikes may happen here and there, at the end of the day, people will associate those names with the Bible for far longer. Or even if they don’t, I highly doubt they’d see it from that TV show. Will Katniss seem weird in 30 years? I hope so (I mean, just no). but Silas is a nice name with longevity, so even if celebrities or TV shows come along and make them more popular, I don’t think they ever go out of style or retain that slight bump in association.
Personally I really like the name Silas. It may be gaining in popularity, but I think of it more as an older biblical name. A friend of mine just used Gideon for her son and I love it for the same reasons. It’s older, it’s not as well known, but it’s not a made up name either, which I’m not a fan of.
For your specific questions: 1. No. In fact I didn’t even know Si’s name was Silas and I have seen the show. Plus, he’s a funny dude, despite other members in his family being very…ridged and controversial in their beliefs. Initially, I did think of Silas in Weeds. It was the only TV famous connection I could make. But I only saw three episodes of that show when it first came out. So there you go. 2. I think the history of this name wins out.
My first association is definitely _Silas Marner_. Since the novel’s about the redemptive love of a child, I think it’s a beautiful choice.
Ha, that was my first association too. Though it was as a particularly dull and disliked required reading book rather than any specific plot. (I imagine it was assigned at too young an age for that theme)
unrelated. My first associations with the nickname si / cy are Cyrus and Josiah before I get to Silas.
Interesting post I found today- the top 100 names looked up so far in 2014.
http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/5568270
It’s trying to project the most popular names this year. Silas is #7. My son is Noah & it was #7 in 2010 when we named him. For what it’s worth we know 1 other Noah & have not had any class with another Noah ever (Gymboree, little gym, Kindermusik, sports class, preK, swim lessons). You just never know. We hear the name often but so far it hadn’t entered our world too much (tho I expect it to get worse).
I have never watched Duck Dynasty, but I read about the scandal a lot. I would never have made the connection between Uncle Sy & Silas.
I haven’t watched Duck Dynasty, but I do think of the character from Weeds when I hear Silas. Popularity is a funny thing– in my son’s class (kindergarten in the fall) there are 2 Silases, 2 Sams, 2 Alexanders, 2 Nicos, and only 1 Noah and 1 William. So you never know who your kids will end up in school with just looking at popularity lists!
I do not watch Duck Dynasty so I wasn’t even aware of that association. Even though, it certainly does not strike me as a negative thing. I think most people won’t just assume Silas when they hear Si. To many, it probably seems like a whole separate name, most likely thanks to Duck Dynasty. I do think immediately of Silas when I hear Si, but that’s because I have a brother named Silas. He’s 11. We do call him Si quite often, which I think is adorable, but he has many other nicknames that he goes by, none of which have anything to do with the name Silas. He has four older siblings so he ended up with a lot of cutesy nicknames. Anyway, I think the name is a fantastic one and I really am not biased. When people hear his name they love it. Some friends of ours met him and they loved his name. Shortly after, they had a son and named him Silas.
We’ve never heard, “Oh, like Uncle Si on Duck Dynasty!” Although maybe that’s only because he’s clearly not young enough to have been named after a character on Duck Dynasty. But still, no one ever brings it up when they learn his name. And people never default to Si when they meet him. They always call him Silas. So, from my experience, I don’t think people will assume Si as an automatic nickname for Silas.
As far as popularity, I did not know the name Silas was popular. Aside from my brother and the friends who named their son Silas, I have never heard of another one in all the 11 years we’ve had a Silas in the family. Maybe it has to do with where we live? Anyway, I think you should use the name you’ve always loved! It’s a great, solid, strong name. With its history and biblical orgins, I believe it will long outlive any Duck Dynasty association and it does not strike me as a dated name. If I met a Silas, I wouldn’t know if he was 8 or 80. And that’s another great thing about the name. It grows with a child very well.
Congratulations on your baby! Please let us know what name you picked!
When I hear Silas I think “Paul and Silas” from the Bible, since I teach kids Sunday School. I have never watched Duck Dynasty, since we don’t have cable so I don’t associate the name with the TV show.
I also think of the 1 year old Silas that I do know locally. He’s the only one that I’ve met.
I think it makes a difference that you are choosing the name because the Biblical association is meaningful to you, rather than just because of the sound or because it’s a traditional male name that has been “under the radar”. I do think that it’s origin and history give it more longevity. Plus if your son one day asks about how you chose his name, you can tell him about Silas in the Bible rather than it just being a name that was “trendy” at the time.
It is hard / impossible to predict how a name’s image will change. We had a George a couple of years before Prince George was born. I know of a toddler boy named North locally, named before it became famous as a celebrity girl’s name.
I also think it’s sweet that it’s a name that you have liked for years – another good story to tell your son one day. I think you should use the name, if you do have a boy.
1) Do people associate the name Silas with Duck Dynasty (and, if not, what are their associations/sense of the name)?
No, I don’t watch Duck Dynasty and I don’t know the names of any of the characters on the show. I associate the name Silas with names like Moses and Zeke- trendy, biblical sounding names.
2) Will Silas’s popularity now make it seem dated and passé in the future or does its origin and history give it more longevity?
All names sound dated to the next generation. For example, right now, Barbara sounds like a mom/grandma name however, in a couple of generations it might sound “fresh” and become popular again. I think you just have to pick a name you like and go with it. You can’t chose a name based on how you feel other, future hypothetical people will perceive it.
Also, keep in mind that this name is still pretty low on the popularity chart (It’s not like we’re talking about Mason or Noah). A 78 ranking is not super high in my opinion.
My thoughts:
My initial thought was despite the increase in # of ranking, you mentioned that there were 3,300 boys named Silas last year. While that seems like a lot, there are ~3.5 million lives births in the USA each year. so to put that into perspective, yes, you may come across another kiddo with the same name but there are also a lot of other names diluting this possible “trend”.
I personally have never seen DD, so I suppose my opinion is biased, but I wouldn’t associate the name to that and I feel as though it’s long history overcomes that possible association anyways. Unless DD becomes rich in history like the Seinfeld’s or Friends or Simpsons, where they seem to longer beyond their airing time, the association with DD will likely diminish over the next few years and by the time he would be in school/teenager/adult it wouldn’t even be there.
So in short, if you guys still love the name, then I say DO IT!!!
Correction: where they seem to be watched long past their airing time^
Oops!
I haven’t seen Duck Dynasty, so I don’t have that association at all. I really don’t think it will be around long enough to be an issue, at least not relative to the name’s long history of other associations. I even watched the first five seasons of Weeds a few years ago and had forgotten that was the older son’s name.
I personally know of only one kid named Silas. He’s probably about two years old, and I believe he was named for reasons similar to the ones you describe in your letter. I also agree that the only way to be absolutely sure that your baby’s name won’t unintentionally be on the cutting edge of a trend is to name him something completely unfashionable (which is likely an even worse fate). Since it sounds like you love the name, I think you should go for it!
My cousin and his wife chose this name for their son, though I regret to say that they spelled it “Sylas.”
My main association with the name is actually the great Kentucky author Silas House.
I don’t associate Silas with DD at all. Uncle Si is never called by his full name, and Si would be short for multiple names. My first thoughts when hearing Silas are the Bible, “Silas Marner,” and a little two-year-old son of a friend of mine. He’s the only Silas that I have encountered in real life.
Silas is not my taste, but I do not think of it as a passe name. I think it has longevity for many of the reasons already listed. I do not compare it in any way to the string of -aden names that have been super popular. As other posters have said, you can’t control the future impression of a name; my friend Katrina loved her name until the hurricane came along. It’s one of those things that’s out of your control. If you and your husband love the name, go for it!
I am in the UK and I think of George Eliot’s Silas Marner. The book is studied in many high schools here so I think the association would be quite widespread over here. Silas is an interesting but ultimately postive character. I really like the name and don’t think it would date too much. We do have Duck Dynesty but it definitely doesn’t make me think of that.
I think Silas is a great name and my only association with it would be from Weeds, but it is not a bad association or a particularly strong one. I think it is a great choice and congratulations to you!
First, may I just congratulate your foresight of thinking of your child’s identity among the populous? This is so underappreciated. Now, when I hear of a new baby and ask his name, if it is Braden, Kaden, Aiden, Rayden, Mason, Grayson, Kason, Caiden… the name simply evaporates in my ears before it can be committed to memory. Not intentionally, of course. It’s just nearly impossible to keep them all straight! This is frustrating as someone who really cares about remembering the names of others! How on earth will these men be memorable after a job interview?! Okay, I’ll get off the soap box.
Next, the nickname of Si SOUNDS like Cy. Cy Young is the first association that comes to mind. As not an avid DD viewer, I had (incorrectly) assumed that Si’s full name was Cyrus.
Third, the Cosby Show ran for a REALLY long time and was watched by TONS of people. But I don’t associate the names Clair, Theo, Vanessa, or Denise with it. (Rudy, yes. But Rudy on a girl was unusual then and stands out more). Do Emma and Phoebe make you think of Friends? It was wildly popular. My point is that TV shows seem so engrossing now, but their influence shifts quickly. Plenty of people are still naming their daughters Penelope even though there is a new show called Penny Dreadful! (Imagine all those poor Pennys hearing that on the playground). The name Monica was at #79 before the Clinton scandal, but even now it’s just fell to #502. It’s not as if you’re naming him Adolf or Benedict. (Even as I type this, I imagine some people thinking the ‘Benedict Arnold’ association isn’t such a big deal after over 230 years).
You’re being thoughtful, conscientious parents. Silas is a marvelous name for a boy! If, in the end, you two decide that the name has too much baggage for your child, here are some other suggestions:
Titus
Gaius
Nicodemus
Rufus
Simon
Ruben
Philip
Thaddeus
Felix (maybe not with the NT association)
Agustus
Best wishes as you choose just the right name for your kiddo! Please let us know what you decide!
I have a 22 year old nephew named Silas (named for my great grandfather) and have always loved the name. So for me, it has seemed like a name that has just always been around. Up and down in popularity, but always around. I agree that your other options are probably a lot more time-stamping than Silas.
And I do occasionally watch Duck Dynasty, and get a huge kick out of Uncle Si, but consider it a completely different name!
My 2 year old is Silas. We call him Si, but no one has made that assumption unless they heard us say it. I haven’t encountered a lot of other kids named Silas. We just ran into our first other Silas on vacation last week. We get a lot of compliments on the name – no tv references.
When I named my son Aiden 8 years ago, we knew it was a popular name. But I had loved the name ever since I saw Aidan Quinn in Legends of the Fall in 1994. Although I was dismayed that it was becoming so popular, we tried lots of other names and didn’t come up with anything we liked as much as Aiden. So Aiden it was. We don’t come across other Aidens very often, though we do hear of other -den names frequently.
I certainly wouldn’t expect that our name choice doesn’t mean he won’t be able to find a job, as a previous commenter posted. I think, if you love a name, go for it, popularity be damned! Your little boy will be the only association with the name for those who know and love him.
I have watched Duck Dynasty unlike many people who commented. I would not think you named a baby Silas because of the show. Sometimes you like a name and it happens to also be a famous persons name. Is anyone young enough to remember watching the top ten music videos on TRL?? Hosted originally by Carson Daly?? Well I am. When I had my second son (nameless 3 days BC he didn’t “look” like the name we had picked) my mom suggested Carson. I immediately said no “Carson Daly is famous” my husband liked it though and so I agreed on day 3. Since then I do not think of the connection, and no one has said anything. And TRL was extremely popular. I say if you love it go for it. Lol but I bet it’s a girl since you are hung up on this!
For me Silas has connotations of farming, and old-time craftsman type professions. This is probably due in part to Silas Marner:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silas_Marner
Which is one of the few places I’ve ever encountered the name.
My primary association is with Silas Marner as well, which is a book I adore (and which would make me consider Hephzibah, nn Eppie for a girl!). If you love it, I say go for it – I think anything else will probably feel a bit like second best.
I only think of Duck Dynasty with the nickname Si. These days, it’s common for kids to go by their full name, so I don’t think a nickname is inevitable. His peers may eventually give him a nickname, but even then, it’s not a negative association. The full name Silas reminds me of a character from The Vampire Diaries. If you love it, don’t let passing TV shows change your mind. I think it’s a great choice.
I’m super behind on this post, but when I saw your favorite girl names (Pearl, June and Clara) I had to chime in! My grandma was named Pearl, and her sisters were…….June and Clara! Obviously they sound great together. They also had a sister named Evelyn and Wilda. Wilda is the only outlier here, I suppose :)