Silas/Elias

[hotmaildt.livejournal.com]

For as long as I can remember I have LOVED the names Silas and Elias. Can anyone tell me anything about either or these names? Or offer any middle name ideas? Do they seem too old fashioned?

Thanks!

Comments

[sageharper.livejournal.com]

behindthename.com is your friend :)

Silas
Short form of SILVANUS* [Roman name derived from Latin silva "wood, forest". Silvanus was the Roman god of forests]. This is the name of a companion of Saint Paul in Acts in the New Testament.
Ranked #412 last year (has been slowly rising since '90)

Elias
Form of Elijah [From the Hebrew name אֱלִיָּהוּ ('Eliyyahu) meaning "my God is YAHWEH".]
Ranked #188 last year (has been steadily rising for a century)

I suck at middle name suggestions

Hmm not really, they have an 'offbeat classic' feel which is quite fashionable and fresh.

[mrsduryee.livejournal.com]

22Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, two men who were leaders among the brothers.Acts 15:22

Silas was chosen by Paul and other church founders to preach the Gospel with Paul. Later Barsabbas was disrespectful and fell away, but Silas continued to work with Paul. They went through "Syris and Cilicia, strengthening the churches." He was sent to prison, tortured and mocked for his good work.

My favorite verse about Silas:

Acts 16:24-26
Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose.

And this is just a gues, but Elias may come from the Hebrew name Eliashib

Both amazing, lovely and strong names, IMO.

[mrsduryee.livejournal.com]

Oh MN suggestions!

Silas Robert
Silas Jackson
Silas Joshua
Silas Emanuel
Silas Matthew
Silas Luke (interesting since Luke wrote Acts!)
Silas James (too much for me, but sounds nice)

same MNs work for both names, IMO.

[bellisima87.livejournal.com]

i so love both names. and i do not think that they are too old-fashioned. actually, elias is very common in germany these days.

for middle name suggestions:
do you know the former tennis player boris becker? his younger son is called elias balthasar. i love this name.

[cathkitten.livejournal.com]

I like them both a lot. Especially Silas. Sy is a cute nickname.

Silas Marner is a book by George Eliot and it's so, so good.

[poespretty.livejournal.com]

I like Silas a really, really lot.

hmmm mn suggestions?

Silas Matthew
Silas John
Silas William
Silas Jacob

[the-theorist.livejournal.com]

Well, this is kind of silly, but I love researching genealogy and I just found out who my ggggrandfather is and his name is Elias. So I really like that right now.

Silas has a bad taste in my mouth because of a book I just read.

[elemmennope.livejournal.com]

I like both of them a lot. The most damning criticism of them I've seen is that they seem too Children of the Corn, and I can see that. But I really think they're quite nice, and certainly more refreshing than the standard biblical stuff.

[hotmaildt.livejournal.com]

thanks for all the info!!!

[hotmaildt.livejournal.com]

wow, thanks for all that!

[hotmaildt.livejournal.com]

I really like Silas James, James is my dads name and I have always wanted to use it somehow.

[sageharper.livejournal.com]

You're welcome :)

I quite like both names, especially Elias.

[sageharper.livejournal.com]

The D'vinci code, right?

[x-lostinyou.livejournal.com]

That's what I first thought of when I saw the name, too.

[the-theorist.livejournal.com]

yeah

[hotmaildt.livejournal.com]

Ive never read D'vinci code...is there a really bad Silas in it?

[sageharper.livejournal.com]

To avoid spoilers I shall just say yes.
Haven't read it all the way through, but that fact is made clear in the first chapter.