The period is named after the Silures, a Celtic tribe that inhabited what is now Wales. The name was coined in 1835 by British geologist Sir Roderick Murchison, who studied the rocks of Wales and recognized their distinct geological characteristics.
The Silures were known for their resistance to Roman conquest, and Murchison likely chose the name to reflect the "hardness" and distinct nature of the Silurian rocks compared to the surrounding geological formations.