Silence

SI-ləns

A Puritan virtue name meaning quietness, restraint, and speech kept in check.

Meaning

Silence is an English virtue name taken directly from the common noun meaning lack of speech or quiet. In the 17th century it was used for daughters alongside names like Patience, Temperance, and Prudence, reflecting Puritan naming ideals. The excerpts also connect it with the classical figure Tacita, a goddess associated with silence.

Origin

Fun fact

It appears in records as one of the daughters of Temperance, wife of Sir Thomas Crew, Speaker under James I and Charles I.

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Confidence: sourced. Sources: Praenomina; or, the etymology of the principal Christian names of Great Britain and Ireland, Curiosities of Puritan Nomenclature, Girls' Names and Name-Day and Birthday Book.

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