Sayen f MapucheMeaning uncertain, possibly a derivative of Mapuche
ayün "love".
Saylor f English (Modern)From an English surname that was derived from Old French
sailleor meaning
"acrobat, dancer". As a modern English given name it could also come from the homophone vocabulary word
sailor.
Sayuri f JapaneseFrom Japanese
小 (sa) meaning "small" and
百合 (yuri) meaning "lily". This name can also be composed of other kanji combinations.
Sayyid m ArabicMeans
"lord, master" in Arabic. A famous bearer was the Egyptian musician Sayyid Darwish (1892-1923).
Scarlett f EnglishFrom an English surname that denoted a person who sold or made clothes made of scarlet (a kind of cloth, possibly derived from Persian
سقرلاط (saqrelat)). Margaret Mitchell used it for the main character, Scarlett O'Hara, in her novel
Gone with the Wind (1936). Her name is explained as having come from her grandmother. Despite the fact that the book was adapted into a popular movie in 1939, the name was not common until the 21st century. It started rising around 2003, about the time that the career of American actress Scarlett Johansson (1984-) started taking off.
Scáthach f Irish MythologyMeans
"shadowy" in Irish. In Irish legend this was the name of a warrior woman. She instructed
Cúchulainn in the arts of war, and he in turn helped her defeat her rival
Aoife.
Scevola m Italian (Rare)Italian form of the Roman cognomen
Scaevola, which was derived from Latin
scaevus "left-handed". The first bearer of this name was Gaius Mucius Scaevola, who acquired it, according to legend, after he thrust his right hand into a blazing fire in order to intimidate the Etruscan king Porsenna, who was blockading the city of Rome.
Schneeweißchen f LiteratureMeans
"snow white" in High German, thus a cognate of Low German
Sneewittchen (see
Snow White). This is the name of a peasant girl in the German folktale
Snow-White and Rose-Red, recorded by the Brothers Grimm in 1837. Her sister is
Rosenrot, translated into English as
Rose-Red. This story is distinct from the Grimms' earlier tale
Snow White.
Scholastica f Late RomanFrom a Late Latin name that was derived from
scholasticus meaning
"rhetorician, orator". Saint Scholastica was a 6th-century Benedictine abbess, the sister of Saint Benedict of Nursia.
Schuyler m & f EnglishFrom a Dutch surname meaning
"scholar". Dutch settlers brought the surname to America, where it was subsequently adopted as a given name in honour of the American general and senator Philip Schuyler (1733-1804).
Scipio m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen derived from Latin
scipio meaning
"staff, walking stick". A famous bearer was the 3rd-century Roman general Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, usually called only Scipio Africanus, notable for his victories during the Second Punic War.
Scorpio m AstronomyMeans
"scorpion" in Latin, from Greek
σκορπίος (skorpios). This is the name of the eighth sign of the zodiac, associated with the constellation
Scorpius.
Scorpius m AstronomyFrom a Latin variant of
Scorpio. This is the name of a zodiacal constellation said to have the shape of a scorpion. According to Greek and Roman legend it was the monster that was sent to kill
Orion.
Scott m English, ScottishFrom an English and Scottish surname that referred to a person from Scotland or a person who spoke Scottish Gaelic. It is derived from Latin
Scoti meaning "Gael, Gaelic speaker", with the ultimate origin uncertain.
Scout f & m English (Modern)From the English word
scout meaning
"one who gathers information covertly", which is derived from Old French
escouter "to listen". Harper Lee used this name in her novel
To Kill a Mockingbird (1960).
Séaghdha m Irish (Rare)From Old Irish
Ségdae, probably derived from
ségda meaning
"fine, good, favourable, learned". According to an Irish legend this was the name of a boy who was set to be sacrificed but was saved by his mother.
Seán m IrishIrish form of
John, derived via the Old French form
Jehan.
Sean m Irish, EnglishAnglicized form of
Seán. This name name, along with variants
Shawn and
Shaun, began to be be used in the English-speaking world outside of Ireland around the middle of the 20th century.
Sebastian m German, English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Finnish, Romanian, CzechFrom the Latin name
Sebastianus, which meant
"from Sebaste". Sebaste was the name a town in Asia Minor, its name deriving from Greek
σεβαστός (sebastos) meaning "venerable" (a translation of Latin
Augustus, the title of the Roman emperors). According to Christian tradition, Saint Sebastian was a 3rd-century Roman soldier martyred during the persecutions of the emperor Diocletian. After he was discovered to be a Christian, he was tied to a stake and shot with arrows. This however did not kill him. Saint Irene of Rome healed him and he returned to personally admonish Diocletian, whereupon the emperor had him beaten to death.
... [more] Secundinus m Ancient RomanRoman family name derived from the praenomen
Secundus. Saint Secundinus, also known as Seachnall, was a 5th-century assistant to Saint
Patrick who became the first bishop of Dunshaughlin.
Sedna f New World MythologyMeaning unknown. This is the name of the Inuit goddess of the sea, sea animals and the underworld. According to some legends Sedna was originally a beautiful woman thrown into the ocean by her father. A dwarf planet in the outer solar system was named for her in 2004.
Seetha f TamilTamil form of
Sita. The name of the mythological figures is
சீதை, while
சீதா is the spelling used for people.
Sefton m English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"town in the rushes" in Old English.
Ségolène f FrenchFrom the Germanic name
Sigilina, itself a diminutive derivative of the element
sigu meaning
"victory" (Proto-Germanic *
segiz). This was the name of a 7th-century saint from Albi, France.
Seija f FinnishDerived from Finnish
seijas meaning
"tranquil, serene".
Seiko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
聖 (sei) meaning "holy, sacred" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Sekhmet f Egyptian MythologyFrom Egyptian
sḫmt, derived from
sḫm meaning
"powerful" and a feminine
t suffix. Sekhmet was an Egyptian warrior goddess, also associated with healing, violence and plague. She was commonly depicted with the head of a lioness, and was sometimes conflated with the cat-headed goddess
Bastet.
Sela f English (Rare)From the name of a city, the capital of Edom, which appears in the Old Testament. It means "rock" in Hebrew.
Selah f BiblicalFrom a Hebrew musical term that occurs many times in the Old Testament Psalms. It was probably meant to indicate a musical pause.
Selbi f TurkmenMeans
"cypress" in Turkmen (derived from Persian, ultimately from Sumerian).
Selby m & f English (Rare)From an English surname that was from a place name meaning
"willow farm" in Old Norse.
Selena f Spanish, English, Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of
Selene. This name was borne by popular Mexican-American singer Selena Quintanilla (1971-1995), who was known simply as Selena. Another famous bearer is the American actress and singer Selena Gomez (1992-).
Selene f Greek MythologyMeans
"moon" in Greek. This was the name of a Greek goddess of the moon, a Titan. She was sometimes identified with the goddess
Artemis.
Seleucus m Ancient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Σέλευκος (Seleukos), of unknown meaning. It is possibly related to
λευκός (leukos) meaning "bright, white". This was the name of one of Alexander the Great's generals, who established the Seleucid Empire in western Asia after Alexander's death.
Selim m Turkish, AlbanianTurkish and Albanian form of
Salim. This was the name of three Ottoman sultans, including the father of Süleyman the Magnificent.
Selin f TurkishFrom Turkish
sel meaning
"flood, torrent" (a word of Arabic origin).
Selwyn m English (Rare)From a surname that was originally derived from an Old English given name, which was formed of the elements
sele "manor" and
wine "friend".
Semele f Greek MythologyMeaning unknown, possibly of Phrygian origin. In Greek mythology she was one of the many lovers of
Zeus.
Hera, being jealous, tricked Semele into asking Zeus to display himself in all his splendour as the god of thunder. When he did, Semele was struck by lightning and died, but not before giving birth to
Dionysos.
Semiramis f Ancient Assyrian (Hellenized)Probably from a Greek form of the name
Shammuramat. According to ancient Greek and Armenian sources, Semiramis (
Շամիրամ (Shamiram) in Armenian) was an Assyrian queen who conquered much of Asia. Though the tales are legendary, she might be loosely based on the real Assyrian queen.
Senán m Irish, Old IrishMeans
"little old one", derived from Old Irish
sen "old" combined with a diminutive suffix. Saint Senán was a 6th-century monk who founded the monastery on Inis Cathaigh.
Seneca m Ancient RomanFrom 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 TurkishFrom Turkish
şen meaning "happy" and
er meaning "man, hero, brave".
Senga f ScottishSometimes explained as an anagram of
Agnes, but more likely derived from Gaelic
seang "slender".
Sengphet f & m LaoFrom Lao
ແສງ (saeng) meaning "light" and
ເພັດ (phet) meaning "diamond, gem".
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.
Şenol m & f TurkishMeans
"be happy", from Turkish
şen "happy".
Seo-A f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
瑞 (seo) meaning "felicitous omen, auspicious" combined with
雅 (a) meaning "elegant, graceful, refined" or
娥 (a) meaning "good, beautiful". Other combinations of hanja characters can also form this name.
Seo-Hyeon f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
瑞 (seo) meaning "felicitous omen, auspicious" combined with
賢 (hyeon) meaning "virtuous, worthy, able". Other combinations of hanja characters can form this name as well.
Seo-Jun m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
瑞 (seo) meaning "felicitous omen, auspicious" or
舒 (seo) meaning "open up, unfold, comfortable, easy" combined with
俊 (jun) meaning "talented, handsome". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.
Seok m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
石 (seok) meaning "stone" or
錫 (seok) meaning "tin", as well as other characters that are pronounced the same way.
Seok-Jin m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
碩 (seok) meaning "large, great" and
珍 (jin) meaning "precious, rare". Other hanja characters can form this name as well.
Seong m & f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
成 (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 KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
成 (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded" or
盛 (seong) meaning "abundant, flourishing" combined with
鎬 (ho) meaning "stove, bright" or
晧 (ho) meaning "daybreak, bright". Many other hanja character combinations are possible.
Seong-Hun m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
成 (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded" combined with
勛 (hun) meaning "meritorious deed, rank". Other hanja character combinations can form this name as well.
Seong-Hyeon m & f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
成 (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded" combined with
鉉 (hyeon), which refers to a device used to lift a tripod cauldron. Other hanja character combinations are possible.
Seong-Jin m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
成 (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded" or
星 (seong) meaning "star, planet" combined with
鎭 (jin) meaning "town, marketplace" or
震 (jin) meaning "shake, tremor, excite". Other hanja character combinations are also possible.
Seong-Min m & f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
成 (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded" or
性 (seong) meaning "nature, character, sex" combined with
敏 (min) meaning "quick, clever, sharp" or
旻 (min) meaning "quick, clever, sharp". Many other hanja character combinations are possible.
Seong-Su m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
成 (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded" or
聖 (seong) meaning "holy, sacred" combined with
洙 (su), which refers to a river in China. Many other hanja character combinations are possible.
Seo-Yeon f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
瑞 (seo) meaning "felicitous omen, auspicious" combined with
娟 (yeon) or
妍 (yeon) both meaning "beautiful". Many other combinations of hanja characters can also form this name.
Seo-Yun f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
瑞 (seo) meaning "felicitous omen, auspicious" and
潤 (yun) meaning "soft, sleek", as well as other hanja character combinations.
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.
Septimius m Ancient RomanRoman 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.
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 CherokeeProbably 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.
Seraphina f English (Rare), German (Rare), Late RomanFeminine 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] Serapion m Ancient GreekFrom 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.
Seren f WelshMeans
"star" in Welsh. This is a recently created Welsh name.
Serena f English, Italian, Late RomanFrom 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".
Sergius m Ancient RomanRoman 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.
Serhan m TurkishDerived from Turkish
ser meaning "head, top" and
han, which is from the title
khan meaning "leader".
Serkan m TurkishMeans
"leader, chief" from Turkish
ser "head, top" and
kan "blood".
Serket f Egyptian MythologyFrom 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.
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.
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 TswanaMeans
"bloom, flower" in Tswana, derived from
thunya "to bloom".
Seti m Ancient EgyptianFrom Egyptian
stẖj meaning
"of Seth 2". This was the name of two pharaohs of the 19th dynasty (13th century BC).
Setiawan m IndonesianFrom Indonesian
setia meaning
"loyal, true", ultimately from Sanskrit
सत्य (satya), combined with the masculine suffix
-wan.
Setsuko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
節 (setsu) meaning "section, period, verse, melody" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations can also be possible.
Seung m & f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
昇 (seung) meaning "rise, ascent",
勝 (seung) meaning "victory, excel" or
承 (seung) meaning "inherit", as well as other characters that are pronounced similarly.
Sevan f & m ArmenianFrom the name of the largest lake in Armenia, which may be from the Urartian word
suinia simply meaning "lake".
Sevda f Turkish, AzerbaijaniMeans
"love, infatuation" in Turkish and Azerbaijani, ultimately from Arabic
سوداء (sawda) meaning "black bile, melancholy, sadness".
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)).
Severinus m Ancient RomanRoman 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.
Severus m Ancient RomanRoman family name meaning
"stern" in Latin. This name was borne by several early saints including a 6th-century patriarch of Antioch.
Sextus m Ancient RomanRoman praenomen, or given name, meaning
"sixth" in Latin. It was traditionally given to the sixth child.