Names Starting with S

gender
usage
Sender m Yiddish
Yiddish form of Alexander.
Sendoa m Basque
Means "strong" in Basque.
Seneca m Ancient Roman
From a Roman cognomen derived from Latin senectus meaning "old". This was the name of both a Roman orator (born in Spain) and also of his son, a philosopher and statesman.... [more]
Şener m Turkish
From Turkish şen meaning "happy" and er meaning "man, hero, brave".
Senga f Scottish
Sometimes explained as an anagram of Agnes, but more likely derived from Gaelic seang "slender".
Sengphet f & m Lao
From Lao ແສງ (saeng) meaning "light" and ເພັດ (phet) meaning "diamond, gem".
Şengül f Turkish
Possibly from the Persian word شنگول (shangūl) meaning "merry, cheerful".
Senja f Finnish
Finnish form of Xenia.
Senka f Serbian, Croatian
Means "shadow, shade" in Serbian and Croatian. It can also be a diminutive of Ksenija.
Senn m Dutch (Modern)
Meaning unknown, possibly related to Senne.
Senna f & m Dutch (Modern)
Meaning uncertain. In some cases it is given in honour of the Brazilian racecar driver Ayrton Senna (1960-1994). It could also be inspired by the senna plant.
Sennacherib m Ancient Assyrian (Anglicized), Biblical, Biblical Latin
From Akkadian Sin-ahhi-eriba meaning "Sin has replaced my (lost) brothers", from the god's name Sin combined with a plural form of aḫu meaning "brother" and riābu meaning "to replace". This was the name of a 7th-century BC Assyrian king who destroyed Babylon. He appears in the Old Testament.
Senne m Dutch (Modern)
Possibly a Dutch diminutive of Sebastian or Sander.
Şenol m & f Turkish
Means "be happy", from Turkish şen "happy".
Sens f Medieval Spanish
Old variant of Sancha.
Senta f German
Diminutive of Kreszentia.
Seo-A f Korean
From Sino-Korean (seo) meaning "felicitous omen, auspicious" combined with (a) meaning "elegant, graceful, refined" or (a) meaning "good, beautiful". Other combinations of hanja characters can also form this name.
Seo-Ah f Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 서아 (see Seo-A).
Seoc m Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Jack.
Seo-Hyeon f Korean
From Sino-Korean (seo) meaning "felicitous omen, auspicious" combined with (hyeon) meaning "virtuous, worthy, able". Other combinations of hanja characters can form this name as well.
Seo-Hyun f Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 서현 (see Seo-Hyeon).
Seoirse m Irish
Irish form of George.
Seo-Joon m Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 서준 (see Seo-Jun).
Seo-Jun m Korean
From Sino-Korean (seo) meaning "felicitous omen, auspicious" or (seo) meaning "open up, unfold, comfortable, easy" combined with (jun) meaning "talented, handsome". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.
Seok m Korean
From Sino-Korean (seok) meaning "stone" or (seok) meaning "tin", as well as other characters that are pronounced the same way. Although it does appear rarely as a single-character name, it is more often used in combination with another character.
Seok-Jin m Korean
From Sino-Korean (seok) meaning "large, great" and (jin) meaning "precious, rare". Other hanja characters can form this name as well.
Seon f & m Korean
From Sino-Korean (seon) meaning "good, virtuous" or (seon) meaning "declare, announce", as well as other hanja characters with the same pronunciation. It usually occurs in combination with another character, though it is sometimes used as a stand-alone name.
Seona f Scottish
Partially Anglicized form of Seònaid or Seonag.
Seonag f Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Joan 1.
Seònaid f Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Janet.
Seong m & f Korean
From Sino-Korean (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded", as well as other hanja characters with the same pronunciation. Although it does appear as a single-character name, it is more often used in combination with another character.
Seong-Ho m Korean
From Sino-Korean (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded" or (seong) meaning "abundant, flourishing" combined with (ho) meaning "stove, bright" or (ho) meaning "daybreak, bright". Many other hanja character combinations are possible.
Seong-Hun m Korean
From Sino-Korean (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded" combined with (hun) meaning "meritorious deed, rank". Other hanja character combinations can form this name as well.
Seong-Hyeon m & f Korean
From Sino-Korean (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded" combined with (hyeon), which refers to a device used to lift a tripod cauldron. Other hanja character combinations are possible.
Seong-Jin m Korean
From Sino-Korean (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded" or (seong) meaning "star, planet" combined with (jin) meaning "town, marketplace" or (jin) meaning "shake, tremor, excite". Other hanja character combinations are also possible.
Seong-Min m Korean
From Sino-Korean (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded" or (seong) meaning "nature, character, sex" combined with (min) meaning "quick, clever, sharp" or (min) meaning "quick, clever, sharp". Many other hanja character combinations are possible.
Seong-Su m Korean
From Sino-Korean (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded" or (seong) meaning "holy, sacred" combined with (su), which refers to a river in China. Many other hanja character combinations are possible.
Seon-U m & f Korean
From Sino-Korean (seon) meaning "good, virtuous" or (seon) meaning "declare, announce" combined with (u) meaning "house, universe" or (u) meaning "help, protect, bliss". This name can be formed by many other hanja character combinations as well.
Seòras m Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of George.
Seòsaidh m Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Josey.
Seosamh m Irish
Irish form of Joseph.
Seo-Yeon f Korean
From Sino-Korean (seo) meaning "felicitous omen, auspicious" combined with (yeon) or (yeon) both meaning "beautiful". Many other combinations of hanja characters can also form this name.
Seo-Yun f Korean
From Sino-Korean (seo) meaning "felicitous omen, auspicious" and (yun) meaning "soft, sleek", as well as other hanja character combinations.
Séphora f French
French form of Zipporah.
Sepi m Finnish (Rare)
Finnish diminutive of Seppo 1 or Sebastian.
Sepp m German
German diminutive of Josef.
Seppe m Flemish
Flemish diminutive of Sebastian.
Seppel m German (Rare)
German diminutive of Joseph.
Seppo 1 m Finnish, Finnish Mythology
Derived from Finnish seppä meaning "smith". Seppo Ilmarinen ("the smith Ilmarinen") is the name of a master craftsman in the Finnish epic the Kalevala.
Seppo 2 m Finnish
Finnish variant of Sepeteus or Sebastian.
September f English (Rare)
From the name of the ninth month (though it means "seventh month" in Latin, since it was originally the seventh month of the Roman year), which is sometimes used as a given name for someone born in September.
Septima f Ancient Roman
Feminine form of Septimus.
Septimius m Ancient Roman
Roman family name that was derived from Septimus. Septimius Severus was an early 3rd-century Roman emperor. This was also the name of a 4th-century saint and martyr.
Septimus m Ancient Roman
Roman praenomen, or given name, which meant "seventh" in Latin.
Sequoia f & m English (Rare)
From the name of huge trees that grow in California. The tree got its name from the 19th-century Cherokee scholar Sequoyah (also known as George Guess), the inventor of the Cherokee writing system.
Sequoyah m Cherokee
Probably derived from Cherokee ᏏᏆ (siqua) meaning "hog". This was the name of the Cherokee man (also known as George Guess) who devised the Cherokee writing system in the 19th century.
Sera f English (Rare)
Either a variant of Sarah or a short form of Seraphina.
Serafeim m Greek
Alternate transcription of Greek Σεραφείμ (see Serafim).
Serafim m Greek, Portuguese, Russian, Bulgarian, Macedonian
Form of Seraphinus (see Seraphina) in various languages.
Serafima f Russian
Russian form of Seraphina.
Serafín m Spanish
Spanish form of Seraphinus (see Seraphina).
Serafin m Polish (Rare)
Polish form of Seraphinus (see Seraphina).
Serafina f Italian, Spanish, Portuguese (Rare)
Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Seraphina.
Serafino m Italian
Italian form of Seraphinus (see Seraphina).
Seraiah m Biblical
Means "Yahweh is ruler" in Hebrew, from שָׂרָה (sara) meaning "to have power" and יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of several minor characters in the Old Testament, including the father of Ezra.
Serap f Turkish
Means "mirage" in Turkish (a word of Arabic origin).
Séraphin m French
French form of Seraphinus (see Seraphina).
Seraphina f English (Rare), German (Rare), Late Roman
Feminine form of the Late Latin name Seraphinus, derived from the biblical word seraphim, which was Hebrew in origin and meant "fiery ones". The seraphim were an order of angels, described by Isaiah in the Bible as having six wings each.... [more]
Séraphine f French
French form of Seraphina.
Seraphinus m Late Roman
Masculine form of Seraphina.
Serapion m Ancient Greek
From the name of the Greco-Egyptian god Serapis. Saint Serapion was a 3rd-century patriarch of Antioch. This was also the name of a 13th-century saint, a Mercedarian friar who was martyred by pirates.
Serapis m Egyptian Mythology (Hellenized)
From a compound of Asar, the Egyptian form of Osiris, and Apis, the sacred bull of the Egyptians. This was the name of a syncretic Greco-Egyptian god, apparently promoted by Ptolemy I Soter in the 3rd-century BC in an attempt to unite the native Egyptians and the Greeks in the Ptolemaic Kingdom.
Seraya m Biblical Hebrew
Biblical Hebrew form of Seraiah.
Serdar m Turkish, Turkmen
Turkish and Turkmen form of Sardar.
Seren f Welsh
Means "star" in Welsh. This is a recently created Welsh name.
Serena f English, Italian, Late Roman
From a Late Latin name that was derived from Latin serenus meaning "clear, tranquil, serene". This name was borne by an obscure early saint. Edmund Spenser also used it in his poem The Faerie Queene (1590). A famous bearer from the modern era is tennis player Serena Williams (1981-).
Serenity f English (Modern)
From the English word meaning "serenity, tranquility", ultimately from Latin serenus meaning "clear, calm".
Serge m French
French form of Sergius.
Sergei m Russian, Bulgarian
Alternate transcription of Russian/Bulgarian Сергей (see Sergey).
Sergej m Serbian, Slovene, Czech, Slovak, Russian, Bulgarian
Serbian, Slovene, Czech and Slovak form of Sergey, as well as an alternate transcription of Russian/Bulgarian Сергей (see Sergey).
Sergejs m Latvian
Latvian form of Sergius.
Sergejus m Lithuanian
Lithuanian form of Sergius.
Sergey m Russian, Bulgarian
Russian and Bulgarian form of Sergius.
Serghei m Romanian
Romanian (Moldovan) form of Sergey.
Sergi m Catalan, Georgian
Catalan and Georgian form of Sergius.
Sergine f French
French feminine form of Sergius.
Sérgio m Portuguese
Portuguese form of Sergius.
Sergio m Italian, Spanish
Italian and Spanish form of Sergius.
Sergiu m Romanian
Romanian form of Sergius.
Sergius m Ancient Roman
Roman family name, possibly meaning "servant" in Latin but most likely of unknown Etruscan origin. Saint Sergius was a 4th-century Roman officer who was martyred in Syria with his companion Bacchus. They are the patron saints of Christian desert nomads. Another saint by this name (in the Russian form Sergey) was a 14th-century Russian spiritual leader. The name was also borne by four popes.
Sergiusz m Polish
Polish form of Sergius.
Sergo m Georgian, Armenian
Georgian form of Sergius.
Serhan m Turkish
Derived from Turkish ser meaning "head, top" and han, which is from the title khan meaning "leader".
Serhat m Turkish
Means "frontier" in Turkish.
Serhii m Ukrainian
Alternate transcription of Ukrainian Сергій (see Serhiy).
Serhiy m Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Sergius.
Şerif m Turkish
Turkish form of Sharif.
Şerife f Turkish
Turkish feminine form of Sharif.
Serik m Kazakh
Means "support" in Kazakh.
Serina f English
Variant of Serena.
Serkan m Turkish
Means "leader, chief" from Turkish ser "head, top" and kan "blood".
Serket f Egyptian Mythology
From Egyptian srqt, possibly meaning "she who lets throats breathe", from srq meaning "to open the windpipe, to breathe" and a feminine t suffix. In Egyptian mythology she was the goddess of scorpions as well as the healing of poisonous stings and bites. Eventually she came to be identified with Isis, becoming an aspect of her over time.
Şermin f Turkish
Means "shy" in Turkish.
Serpil f Turkish
Means "grow" in Turkish.
Servaas m Dutch (Rare)
Dutch form of the Late Latin name Servatius, derived from servatus "saved, redeemed". This was the name of a 4th-century saint who helped spread Christianity to the Low Countries.
Servaos m Limburgish
Limburgish form of Servaas.
Servatius m Late Roman
Latin form of Servaas.
Servius m Ancient Roman
Roman praenomen, or given name, meaning "to preserve" from Latin servo.
Sesto m Italian
Italian form of Sextus.
Setare f Persian
Alternate transcription of Persian ستاره (see Setareh).
Setareh f Persian
Means "star" in Persian.
Seth 1 m English, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
From the Hebrew name שֵׁת (Sheṯ) meaning "placed, set". In the Old Testament he is the third named son of Adam and Eve, and the ancestor of Noah and all humankind. In England this name came into use after the Protestant Reformation.
Seth 2 m Egyptian Mythology (Hellenized)
From Σήθ (Seth), the Greek form of Egyptian swtẖ or stẖ (reconstructed as Sutekh), which is of unknown meaning. Seth was the Egyptian god of chaos and the desert, the slayer of Osiris. Osiris's son Horus eventually defeats Seth and has him banished to the desert.
Sethunya f Tswana
Means "bloom, flower" in Tswana, derived from thunya "to bloom".
Seti m Ancient Egyptian
From Egyptian stẖj meaning "of Seth 2". This was the name of two pharaohs of the 19th dynasty (13th century BC).
Setiawan m Indonesian
From Indonesian setia meaning "loyal, true", ultimately from Sanskrit सत्य (satya), combined with the masculine suffix -wan.
Setsuko f Japanese
From Japanese (setsu) meaning "section, period, verse, melody" and (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations can also be possible.
Settimio m Italian
Italian form of Septimius.
Settimo m Italian
Italian form of Septimus.
Seumas m Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of James.
Seung m & f Korean
From Sino-Korean (seung) meaning "rise, ascend", (seung) meaning "victory" or (seung) meaning "inherit", as well as other characters that are pronounced similarly.
Seva m Russian
Diminutive of Vsevolod.
Sevan f & m Armenian
From the name of the largest lake in Armenia, which may be from the Urartian word suinia simply meaning "lake".
Sevara f Uzbek
Means "love" in Uzbek.
Sevastian m Russian (Rare)
Alternate transcription of Russian Севастьян (see Sevastyan).
Sevda f Turkish, Azerbaijani
Means "love, infatuation" in Turkish and Azerbaijani, ultimately from Arabic سوداء (sawdāʾ) meaning "black bile, melancholy, sadness".
Seve m Spanish
Spanish diminutive of Severiano or Severino.
Seven m & f English (Modern)
From the English word for the number, derived from Old English seofon (from an Indo-European root shared by Latin septem and Greek ἑπτά (hepta)).
Sévère m French (Rare)
French form of Severus.
Severi m Finnish
Finnish form of Severus.
Severiano m Spanish
Spanish form of the Roman cognomen Severianus, which was derived from Severus.
Severianus m Ancient Roman
Roman cognomen that was derived from Severus.
Séverin m French
French form of Severinus.
Séverine f French
French feminine form of Severinus.
Severino m Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Severinus.
Severinus m Ancient Roman
Roman family name that was derived from Severus. Severinus was the name of many early saints, including a 6th-century Roman philosopher martyred by the Ostrogothic king Theodoric. It was also borne by a pope.
Severo m Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Severus.
Severus m Ancient Roman
Roman family name meaning "stern" in Latin. This name was borne by several early saints including a 6th-century patriarch of Antioch.
Sevgi f Turkish
Means "love" in Turkish.
Sevil f Turkish
Means "loved" in Turkish.
Sevim f Turkish
Means "love" in Turkish.
Sevinc f Azerbaijani
Means "joy" in Azerbaijani.
Sevinç f Turkish
Means "joy" in Turkish.
Şevket m Turkish
From Arabic شفقة (shafaqa) meaning "compassion", a derivative of شفق (shafaqa) meaning "to pity, to sympathize".
Şevval f Turkish
From Arabic شوّال (shawwāl), the tenth month of the Islamic calendar.
Sevyn f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Seven.
Seward m English
From an English surname, either Seward 1 or Seward 2.
Seweryn m Polish
Polish form of Severinus.
Sextilius m Ancient Roman
Roman cognomen that was a derivative of Sextus.
Sextus m Ancient Roman
Roman praenomen, or given name, meaning "sixth" in Latin. It was traditionally given to the sixth child.
Seydou m Western African
Form of Said used in parts of French-influenced West Africa.
Seyed m Persian
Alternate transcription of Persian سیّد (see Seyyed).
Seyfettin m Turkish
Turkish form of Sayf ad-Din.
Seyfullah m Turkish
Turkish form of Sayfullah.
Şeyma f Turkish
Turkish form of Shaima.
Seymour m English
From a Norman surname that originally belonged to a person coming from the French town of Saint Maur (which means "Saint Maurus").
Seynabou f Western African
Form of Zaynab used in parts of West Africa (mostly Senegal).
Seyyed m Persian
Persian form of Sayyid.
Seyyid m Turkish
Turkish form of Sayyid.
Seyyit m Turkish
Turkish form of Sayyid.
Sezim f Kazakh
Means "sensitive" in Kazakh.
Sganyodaiyo m Seneca
Means "handsome lake" in Seneca, from sganyodeo "lake" and the suffix -iyo "good". This name was borne by an 18th-century Seneca prophet.
Shaban m Arabic, Albanian
From the name of the eighth month of the Islamic calendar. It is derived from Arabic شعب (shaʿaba) meaning "scatter".
Shabana f Urdu
Feminine form of Shaban.
Shabani m Swahili
Swahili form of Shaban.
Shabnam f Persian, Urdu
Means "dew" in Persian and Urdu.
Shachar f & m Hebrew
Means "dawn" in Hebrew.
Shachi f Hinduism
From Sanskrit शची (śacī) meaning "eloquence, speech, skill, power". This is another name of the Hindu goddess Indrani.
Shad 1 m Persian
Means "happy" in Persian.
Shad 2 m English
Perhaps a variant of Chad.
Shadi 1 m Arabic
Means "singer" in Arabic.
Shadi 2 f Persian
Means "happiness" in Persian.
Shadiya f Arabic
Feminine form of Shadi 1.
Shadrach m Biblical
Means "command of Aku" in Akkadian, Aku being the name of the Babylonian god of the moon. In the Old Testament Shadrach is the Babylonian name of Hananiah, one of the three men cast into a fiery furnace but saved by God.
Shadya f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic شادية (see Shadiya).
Shae f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Shea.
Shaelyn f English (Rare)
Elaboration of Shae using the popular name suffix lyn.
Shafaqat m & f Arabic
Means "compassion, pity" in Arabic, a derivative of شفق (shafaqa) meaning "to pity, to sympathize".
Shafiq m Arabic, Urdu, Bengali, Malay
Means "compassionate" in Arabic, from the root شفق (shafaqa) meaning "to pity, to sympathize".
Shafiqa f Arabic
Feminine form of Shafiq.
Shahar f & m Hebrew
Alternate transcription of Hebrew שַׁחַר (see Shachar).
Shahd f Arabic
Means "honey" in Arabic.
Shaheen m Persian, Urdu
Alternate transcription of Persian شاهین (see Shahin), as well as the usual Urdu transcription.
Shahid m Arabic, Urdu
Means "witness" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition الشاهد (al-Shāhid) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Shahin m Persian, Arabic, Bengali
Means "falcon" in Persian, referring more specifically to the Barbary falcon (species Falco pelegrinoides). The bird's name is a derivative of Persian شاه (shāh) meaning "king".
Shahira f Arabic
Means "renowned" in Arabic.
Shahjahan m Urdu
Means "king of the world" from Persian شاه (shāh) meaning "king" and جهان (jahān) meaning "world". This was the name of the 17th-century Mughal emperor who built the Taj Mahal.
Shahnaz f & m Persian, Arabic, Urdu
Means "delight of the king" from Persian شاه (shāh) meaning "king" and ناز (nāz) meaning "delight, comfort, coquetry".
Shahnoza f Uzbek, Tajik
Uzbek and Tajik form of Shahnaz.
Shahpuhr m Middle Persian
Middle Persian form of Shapur.
Shahram m Persian
Means "king Ram", from Persian شاه (shāh) meaning "king" combined with the name of the Yazata Ram 3.
Shahrazad f Persian (Rare), Arabic
Possibly means "noble lineage" from Persian چهر (chehr) meaning "lineage, origin" and آزاد (āzād) meaning "free, noble". Alternatively, it might mean "child of the city" from شهر (shahr) meaning "city, land" combined with the suffix زاد (zād) meaning "child of". This is the name of the fictional storyteller in The 1001 Nights. She tells a story to her husband the king every night for 1001 nights in order to delay her execution.
Shahriar m Persian
Alternate transcription of Persian شهریار (see Shahriyar).
Shahrivar m Persian Mythology
Persian form of Avestan 𐬑𐬱𐬀𐬚𐬭𐬀⸱𐬬𐬀𐬌𐬭𐬌𐬌𐬀 (Xshathra Vairiia) meaning "desirable power". In Zoroastrianism this was the name of a god (one of the Amesha Spenta) associated with the creation of metals. The sixth month of the Iranian calendar is named for him.
Shahriyar m Persian
Means "lord" in Persian.
Shahrizad f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic شهرزاد (see Shahrazad).
Shahrokh m Persian
Means "royal face" in Persian, from شاه (shāh) meaning "king" and رخ (rokh) meaning "face". This was the name of a 15th-century ruler of the Timurid Empire (a son of Timur).
Shahrukh m Urdu, Hindi
Urdu and Hindi form of Shahrokh. A notable bearer is the Indian actor Shahrukh Khan (1965-), normally called Shah Rukh Khan.
Shahrzad f Persian
Alternate transcription of Persian شهرزاد (see Shahrazad).
Shahzad m Persian, Arabic, Urdu
Means "prince, son of the king" in Persian.
Shahzada m Urdu
Variant of Shahzad.
Shai m & f Hebrew
Either from Hebrew שַׁי (shai) meaning "gift" or else a Hebrew diminutive of Isaiah.
Shailaja f Hinduism, Telugu
Means "daughter of the mountain" in Sanskrit, from शैल (śaila) meaning "mountain" and (ja) meaning "born". This is another name of the Hindu goddess Parvati.
Shaima f Arabic
Possibly means "beauty marks" in Arabic. This was the name of the daughter of Halima, the foster mother of the Prophet Muhammad.
Shaimaa f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic شيماء (see Shaima).
Shaina f Yiddish
Alternate transcription of Yiddish שיינאַ (see Shayna).
Shaka m History
From Zulu uShaka, apparently from ishaka, a stomach cramp caused by an intestinal parasite. This was the name of a Zulu warrior king (1787-1828), supposedly given because his unmarried mother Nandi and/or his father Senzangakhona blamed her pregnancy symptoms on the parasite.
Shaked f & m Hebrew
Means "almond" in Hebrew.
Shakeel m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic شكيل (see Shakil).
Shakil m Arabic
Means "handsome" in Arabic.
Shakila f Arabic
Feminine form of Shakil.
Shakir m Arabic, Urdu
Means "thankful" in Arabic, from the root شكر (shakara) meaning "to thank".
Shakira f Arabic
Feminine form of Shakir. A famous bearer is the Colombian singer Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll (1977-), known simply as Shakira.
Shakti f & m Hinduism, Hindi
Means "power" in Sanskrit. In Hinduism a shakti is the female counterpart of a god. The name Shakti is used in particular to refer to the female counterpart of Shiva, also known as Parvati among many other names.
Shakuntala f Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi
Derived from Sanskrit शकुन्त (śakunta) meaning "bird". This is the name of a character in the Hindu epic the Mahabharata, with the story adapted by Kalidasa for the 5th-century play Abhijnanashakuntalam. It tells how Shakuntala, who was raised in the forest by birds, meets and marries the king Dushyanta. After a curse is laid upon them Dushyanta loses his memory and they are separated, but eventually the curse is broken after the king sees the signet ring he gave her.
Shakur m Arabic
Means "thankful" in Arabic, from the root شكر (shakara) meaning "to thank". In Islamic tradition الشكور (al-Shakūr) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Shakura f Arabic
Feminine form of Shakur.
Shalev m & f Hebrew
Means "calm, tranquil" in Hebrew.
Shalim m Semitic Mythology
From the Semitic root šlm meaning "peace". This was the name of an Ugaritic god associated with the evening.
Shalmaneser m Ancient Assyrian (Anglicized), Biblical, Biblical Hebrew
From שַׁלְמַןְאֶסֶר (Shalmanʾeser), the Hebrew form of the Akkadian name Shulmanu-ashared meaning "Shulmanu is preeminent". This was the name of five Assyrian kings, including the 9th-century BC Shalmaneser III who expanded the empire. He is mentioned briefly in the Old Testament.
Shalom m Hebrew
Means "peace" in Hebrew.
Shalva m Georgian
Meaning unknown. This was the name of a 13th-century Georgian hero, considered a saint in the Georgian Church.
Shama f Hindi, Urdu, Marathi
Means "lamp, candle" in Hindi and other Indian languages, ultimately from Arabic شمْع (shamʿ).
Shamash m Semitic Mythology
Means "sun" in Akkadian. This was the Akkadian, Assyrian and Babylonian name of Utu.
Shamgar m Biblical, Biblical Hebrew
Meaning unknown, possibly of Hittite origin. Shamgar was one of the Old Testament judges.
Shamika f African American (Modern)
An invented name, blending the popular phonetic prefix sha and the name Tamika.
Shamil m Arabic, Kazakh, Avar, Chechen, Tatar, Azerbaijani
Means "comprehensive, universal" in Arabic, a derivative of شمل (shamila) meaning "to contain".
Shamira f Hebrew
Means "guardian, protector" in Hebrew, from the root שָׁמַר (shamar) "to guard, to watch".
Shammuramat f Ancient Assyrian
Meaning unknown, possibly derived from a Western Semitic language and meaning "high heaven". Shammuramat was a 9th-century BC queen of Assyria. After her young son inherited the throne, she acted as his regent for five years. The legendary figure Semiramis may be loosely based on her.
Shams f & m Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Semitic Mythology
Means "sun" in Arabic. This was the name of a pre-Islamic Arabian goddess of the sun, identified with the Akkadian sun god Shamash (whose name is related) and the northern Arabian goddess Nuha.
Shams ad-Din m Arabic
Means "sun of the religion", from Arabic شمس (shams) meaning "sun" and دين (dīn) meaning "religion, faith". This was the given name of the 14th-century Berber explorer Ibn Battuta.
Shams al-Din m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic شمس الدين (see Shams ad-Din).
Shamsuddin m Arabic, Bengali, Malay
Alternate transcription of Arabic شمس الدين (see Shams ad-Din), as well as the usual Bengali and Malay form.
Shamus m Irish
Anglicized form of Séamus.
Shan f Welsh
Anglicized form of Siân.
Shana 1 f English
Variant of Shanna.
Shana 2 f Yiddish
Alternate transcription of Yiddish שיינאַ (see Shayna).
Shanae f English (Modern), African American (Modern)
Combination of the popular phonetic elements sha and nay.
Shandar m Urdu
Means "fabulous" in Urdu.
Shandiin f & m Navajo
From Navajo sháńdíín meaning "sunshine".
Shane m Irish, English
Anglicized form of Seán. It came into general use in America after the release of the western movie Shane (1953).
Shanene f English (Rare)
Combination of the phonetic elements sha and neen.
Shani 1 f & m Hebrew
Means "red, scarlet" in Hebrew.
Shani 2 m Hinduism
From the Sanskrit name of the planet Saturn, probably derived from a root meaning "slow-moving". This is the name of a Hindu god who presides over the planet Saturn. He is a son of Surya.
Shania f English (Modern)
In the case of singer Shania Twain (1965-), who chose it as her stage name, it was apparently based on an Ojibwe phrase meaning "on my way".
Shanice f African American (Modern)
Combination of the phonetic elements sha and nees.
Shanika f African American (Modern)
Combination of the popular phonetic elements sha, nee and ka.
Shaniqua f African American (Modern)
An invented name using the popular phonetic elements sha, nee and qua.
Shaniya f African American (Modern)
Variant of Shania, or simply a combination of the popular phonetic elements sha, ny and ya.
Shankara m Hinduism
Derived from the Sanskrit elements शम् (śam) meaning "auspicious, lucky" and कर (kara) meaning "maker". This is another name of the Hindu gods Rudra or Shiva. This was also the name of a 9th-century Indian religious philosopher also known as Shankaracharya.
Shanna f English
Possibly a feminine variant of Shannon.
Shannon f & m English
From the name of the River Shannon, the longest river in Ireland, called an tSionainn in Irish. It is associated with the legendary figure Sionann and is sometimes said to be named for her. However it is more likely she was named after the river, which may be related to Old Irish sen "old, ancient". As a given name, it first became common in America after the 1940s.
Shanon f & m English
Variant of Shannon.
Shanta f Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Nepali
Means "pacified, calm" in Sanskrit. In the Hindu epic the Ramayana this is the name of a princess of Anga who marries Rishyasringa.
Shantanu m Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali
Means "wholesome" in Sanskrit. In the Hindu epic the Mahabharata this is the name of a king of Hastinapura.
Shantel f English
Variant of Chantel.
Shanthi f Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada
Southern Indian form of Shanti.
Shanti f Hindi, Marathi, Nepali
From Sanskrit शान्ती (śāntī) meaning "quiet, peace, tranquility".
Shapour m Persian
Modern Persian form of Shapur.
Shapur m History, Persian
From Middle Persian 𐭱𐭧𐭯𐭥𐭧𐭥𐭩 (Shahpuhr) meaning "son of the king". This was the name of three Sasanian emperors.
Shaquan m African American (Modern)
Combination of the phonetic elements sha and quan.
Shaquana f African American (Modern)
Combination of the phonetic elements sha, qua and na.
Shaquille m African American (Modern)
Variant of Shakil. This name is borne by basketball player Shaquille O'Neal (1972-).
Sharad m Hindi, Marathi, Nepali
From Sanskrit शरद् (śarad) meaning "autumn".
Sharada f Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Nepali
Means "autumnal, associated with autumn" in Sanskrit, a derivative of शरद् (śarad) meaning "autumn". This is another name for the Hindu goddess Saraswati.
Sharar m Biblical, Biblical Hebrew
Means "enemy" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of the father of Ahiam.
Shareef m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic شريف (see Sharif).
Shari f English
Diminutive of Sharon or a variant of Sherry.
Sharia m Arabic (Rare)
Means "divine law, noble law" in Arabic, from the root شرع (sharaʿa) meaning "to go, to enact".
Shariah m Arabic (Rare)
Alternate transcription of Arabic شريعة (see Sharia).
Sharif m Arabic, Urdu, Pashto, Persian, Tajik, Uzbek, Malay
Means "noble, eminent" in Arabic, a derivative of شرف (sharufa) meaning "to be noble, to be illustrious". This was a title used by the descendants of Muhammad.
Sharifa f Arabic
Feminine form of Sharif.
Sharifah f Arabic, Malay
Alternate transcription of Arabic شريفة (see Sharifa).
Sharla f English
Variant of Charla.