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Home › Baby Names Directory › Vilas

Vilas

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Vilas

Pronounced VY-luhs /ˈvaɪləs/Medium

Meaning: Vilas is chiefly an American surname-name, most plausibly given in honour of William F. Vilas, a prominent nineteenth-century senator and cabinet member; several US places bear the name for him. The surname itself is of uncertain older origin. A separate Sanskrit word vilasa, 'charm' or 'play', exists as an unrelated Indian name.Low

In 30 seconds: Vilas is an American surname-name, likely honouring statesman William F. Vilas. It saw slight use for boys near 1917 (said VY-luhs).
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Origin LowEnglish, American
MeaningVilas is chiefly an American surname-name, most plausibly given in honour of William F. Vilas, a prominent nineteenth-century senator and cabinet member; several US places bear the name for him. The surname itself is of uncertain older origin. A separate Sanskrit word vilasa, 'charm' or 'play', exists as an unrelated Indian name.
U.S. rank (1983)#6201 ↗ Rising
1983 U.S. births6 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1917
Total births (all-time)≈ 493

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 191719131983

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Vilas appears in American records mainly as a surname carried into first-name use, most likely honouring William F. Vilas, a Wisconsin senator and postmaster general whose name marks counties and towns. The surname's deeper origin is uncertain, and an unrelated Sanskrit Vilas, 'charm', exists separately in Indian naming.

As a first name it was always scarce, borne by only a couple dozen boys a year around its high in the mid nineteen-teens before fading. It reads as an obscure commemorative surname-name of its era.

Did you know? Several American towns are named Vilas after a single nineteenth-century statesman, which likely inspired the rare use of the surname as a first name.
Overall data confidence 40%
References - Vilas — American surname, likely W. F. Vilas namesake; separate Sanskrit vilasa 'charm'

Variations

VylasVilus

Nicknames

ViLasse

Famous Bearers

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If you like Vilas…

Silas— a like short surname-flavoured boy's name
Niles— a similar spare one-and-a-half beat name
Giles— a comparable antique boy's name
Willis— another vintage surname-name for boys

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Vilas mean?

It's chiefly an American surname used as a first name, most likely honouring the statesman William F. Vilas; a separate Sanskrit Vilas means 'charm'.

How do you pronounce Vilas?

It's said VY-luhs /ˈvaɪləs/, two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Vilas a boy or girl name?

Vilas is used as a boy's name.

Is Vilas a popular name?

No, it has always been very rare, an obscure commemorative surname-name used lightly for boys in the early twentieth century.

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