Silas (name) The Latin name "Silvanus" may be derived from pre-Roman Italian languages. Silas (name) Silas is a common given name and a lesser-known surname. It is a cognate of Silvanus. Silas as a name today comes from the early Christian disciple Silas. He is consistently called "Silas" in Acts, but the Latin Silvanus, which means "of the forest," is always used by Paul and in the First Epistle of Peter; it is likely that "Silvanus" is the Romanized version of the original "Silas," or that "Silas" is the Greek nickname for "Silvanus." It has been suggested that Silas is the Greek
Leon (given name) Sparta, being perhaps the most famous bearer of that name. Leon (English, German, Dutch, Russian version) or Léon (French version) or León (Spanish version) may refer to: Ancient Greek λέων from Proto-Semitic (not Indo-European). Leon (given name) Leon is a first name of Greek origin-the Greek λέων (léon; leōn), meaning "lion," has spawned the Latin "Leo," French "lion," Irish "Leon" and Spanish "León." Perhaps the oldest attested historical figure to bear this name was Leon of Sparta, a 5th-century BCE king of Sparta, while in Greek mythology Leon was a Giant killed by Heracles. During the Christian era Leon was