A former cat of mine was named Silas after my great-great-grandfather, Silas Buck Goss. My oldest ancestor photo is a portrait of Silas with a gray beard and a white shirt, black jacket, and cravat.
Silas is significant in family history because he and his wife, Hannah Abbott Goss, relocated the Gosses from New England to the Midwest. I wasn’t paying tribute to Silas, however, when I named my cat after him. I just liked the name — for a pet.
It comes as a surprise that contemporary Americans like the name for their human offspring. According to Nameberry, Silas was the fourth most popular baby boy’s name for first half of 2023.