Si-U m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
始 (si) meaning "begin, start" combined with
祐 (u) meaning "divine intervention, protection" or
雨 (u) meaning "rain". Other combinations of hanja characters can form this name as well.
Siv f Swedish, Norwegian, Norse MythologyFrom Old Norse
Sif, which meant
"bride, kinswoman". In Norse mythology she was the wife of
Thor. After the trickster
Loki cut off her golden hair, an angry Thor forced him to create a replacement.
Sivan f HebrewFrom the name of the ninth month of the Hebrew calendar (occurring in late spring). It was adopted from the Babylonian calendar, derived from Akkadian
simānu meaning "season, occasion".
Sixten m SwedishFrom the Old Norse name
Sigsteinn, which was derived from the elements
sigr "victory" and
steinn "stone".
Sixtus m Late RomanProbably the Latin form of the Greek name
Ξύστος (Xystos) meaning
"scraped, polished". This name was borne by five popes. The first pope by this name was the sixth to serve after Saint Peter, so there is a possibility that this name is in fact derived from Latin
sextus "sixth".
Sjra m LimburgishLimburgish form of
Gerard. Its spelling has been influenced by the French pronunciation of Gérard.
Skanda m HinduismMeans
"hopping, spurting, spilling" in Sanskrit. In Hindu belief this is the name of the god of war, also known as
Kartikeya or
Murugan. He is worshipped especially by the Tamils in southern India.
Skaði f Norse MythologyMeans
"damage, harm" in Old Norse. In Norse mythology she was a giantess (jǫtunn) associated with the winter, skiing and mountains. After the gods killed her father, they offered her a husband from among them as compensation. She ended up marrying
Njord.
Skenandoa m Oneida (Anglicized)Possibly from Oneida
oskanutú meaning
"deer". This was the name of an 18th-century Oneida chief. According to some sources the Shenandoah River in Virginia was named after him, though the river seems to have borne this name from before his birth. It is possible that he was named after the river, or that the similarity in spellings is a coincidence.
Skuld f Norse MythologyMeans
"debt, obligation" in Old Norse. She was one of the three Norns, or goddesses of destiny, in Norse mythology. She was also one of the valkyries.
Sky f & m English (Modern)Simply from the English word
sky, which was ultimately derived from Old Norse
ský "cloud".
Skye f English (Modern)From the name of the Isle of Skye off the west coast of Scotland. It is sometimes considered a variant of
Sky.
Skylar f & m English (Modern)Variant of
Skyler. Originally more common for boys during the 1980s, it was popularized as a name for girls after it was used on the American soap opera
The Young and the Restless in 1989 and the movie
Good Will Hunting in 1997. Its sharp rise in the United States in 2011 might be attributed to the character Skyler White from the television series
Breaking Bad (2008-2013) or the singer Skylar Grey (1986-), who adopted this name in 2010 after previously going by Holly Brook.
Skyler m & f English (Modern)Variant of
Schuyler, based on the pronunciation of the surname but respelled as if it was a blend of the English word
sky with names such as
Tyler. It was rare before 1980, and first gained popularity as a name for boys. It is now more common for girls, though it is more evenly unisex than the mostly feminine variant
Skylar.
Sláine f & m Old Irish, Irish MythologyFrom Old Irish
slán meaning
"health, safety". This was the name of a legendary high king of Ireland, one of the Fir Bolg. It was also the name of a daughter of the 11th-century high king Brian Boru.
Slávek m CzechDiminutive of names containing the Slavic element
slava meaning
"glory". It is sometimes used independently.
Slaven m Croatian, SerbianMeans
"a Slav" in Croatian and Serbian, referring to the European people who speak one of the Slavic languages (which include Croatian and Serbian). The word is derived from Old Slavic *
slověninŭ.
Slavěna f CzechDerived from Czech
slavná meaning
"glorious", a derivative of Old Slavic
slava "glory".
Sława f PolishShort form of names containing the Slavic element
slava meaning
"glory".
Sławomir m PolishDerived from the Slavic elements
slava "glory" and
mirŭ "peace, world". This name (Slavomir) was borne by 9th-century rulers of the Obotrites and the Moravians.
Sly m EnglishShort form of
Sylvester. The actor Sylvester Stallone (1946-) is a well-known bearer of this nickname.
Smaragdos m Late GreekMeans
"emerald" in Greek, of Semitic origin. This was the name of a 3rd-century Roman martyr and saint, better known by the Latinized form of his name
Smaragdus.
Sméagol m LiteratureFrom Old English
smeah meaning
"penetrating, creeping". In J. R. R. Tolkien's novel
The Lord of the Rings (1954) this is revealed as the original name of the creature
Gollum. Tolkien used English-like translations of many names; the real hobbit-language form of the name was
Trahald.
Smiljana f Croatian, SerbianFrom the Serbo-Croatian word
smilje, a type of plant, known as everlasting or immortelle in English (genus Helichrysum).
Smilla f Danish, Swedish, LiteratureInvented by the Danish author Peter Høeg for the heroine of his novel
Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow (1992). In the book the name is explained as a short form of
Smillaaraq, a blend of Danish
smil "smile" and the Greenlandic name
Miillaaraq.
Smiltė f LithuanianMeans
"sandwort" in Lithuanian, referring to flowering plants from the genus Arenaria.
Smith m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"metal worker, blacksmith", derived from Old English
smitan "to smite, to hit". It is the most common surname in most of the English-speaking world.
Sneewittchen f LiteratureOlder form of
Schneewittchen (see
Snow White). This was the Low German form originally used by the Brothers Grimm for their adaptation of the folktale
Snow White.
Sneferu m Ancient EgyptianFrom Egyptian
snfr-wj meaning
"(he) has made me beautiful", from
snfr "to make beautiful", a derivative of
nfr "beautiful, good". This was the name of the founder of the 4th dynasty during Egypt's Old Kingdom (27th century BC).
Snieguolė f LithuanianFrom Lithuanian
sniegas meaning
"snow" and a diminutive suffix. As a word,
snieguolė can also mean
"snowdrop flower", while
Snieguolė is also the Lithuanian name for
Snow White.
Snorri m Old Norse, IcelandicDerived from Old Norse
snerra "attack, onslaught". This name was borne by Snorri Sturluson, a 13th-century Icelandic historian and poet, the author of the
Prose Edda.
Snow White f LiteratureEnglish translation of German
Sneewittchen, derived from Low German
Snee "snow" and
witt "white" combined with the diminutive suffix
-chen. This is the name of a girl who escapes her evil stepmother and takes refuge with seven dwarfs in an 1812 story recorded by the Brothers Grimm, who based it on earlier European folktales. The High German translation would be
Schneeweißchen, but this was used by the Grimms for an unrelated character in another story (
Snow-White and Rose-Red). The modern German form is typically the hybrid
Schneewittchen. The story was adapted into a film by Walt Disney in 1937.
Soan m French (Modern)Variant of
Sohan. It was popularized by the French singer Julien Decroix (1981-), also known as Soan.
Sobek m Egyptian MythologyFrom Egyptian
sbk, possibly derived from
sbq "to impregnate". In Egyptian mythology Sobek was a ferocious crocodile-headed god associated with fertility and the Nile River.
Sobekhotep m Ancient EgyptianFrom Egyptian
sbk-ḥtp meaning
"Sobek is satisfied", derived from the name of the Egyptian god
Sobek combined with
ḥtp "peace, satisfaction". This was the name of several Egyptian pharaohs from the 13th dynasty (19th to 17th centuries BC).
Sobiesław m Polish (Rare)Derived from Slavic elements, probably
sebě "to oneself" and
slava "glory". This name (in the Czech form
Soběslav) was borne by two 12th-century dukes of Bohemia.
Socorro f SpanishMeans
"succour, help, relief" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary María del Socorro meaning "Mary of Perpetual Succour".
Socrates m Ancient Greek (Latinized)From the Greek name
Σωκράτης (Sokrates), which was derived from
σῶς (sos) meaning "whole, unwounded, safe" and
κράτος (kratos) meaning "power". This was the name of an important Greek philosopher. He left no writings of his own; virtually everything that we know of his beliefs comes from his pupil
Plato. He was sentenced to death for impiety.
Sofia f Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Finnish, Estonian, Slovak, Romanian, English, Russian, Ukrainian, BulgarianForm of
Sophia used in various languages.
Sohrab m Persian, Persian MythologyFrom Persian
سهر (sohr) meaning "red" and
آب (ab) meaning "water". In the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh this is the name of the son of the hero
Rostam. He was tragically slain in battle by his father, who was unaware he was fighting his own son.
Soile f FinnishPossibly from Finnish
soilu meaning
"glimmer, blaze".
Sok m & f KhmerMeans
"healthy, peaceful, happy, pleasant" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit
सुख (sukha).
Sokol m AlbanianMeans
"falcon" in Albanian, a word borrowed from Slavic.
Solange f FrenchFrench form of the Late Latin name
Sollemnia, which was derived from Latin
sollemnis "religious". This was the name of a French shepherdess who became a saint after she was killed by her master.
Soledad f SpanishMeans
"solitude" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
María de la Soledad, meaning "Mary of Solitude".
Soleil f VariousMeans
"sun" in French. It is not commonly used as a name in France itself.
Sóley f IcelandicMeans
"buttercup (flower)" in Icelandic (genus Ranunculus), derived from
sól "sun" and
ey "island".
Solfrid f NorwegianFrom the Old Norse elements
sól "sun" and
fríðr "beautiful, beloved". This name was coined in the 19th century.
Sólja f FaroeseMeans
"buttercup (flower)" in Faroese (genus Ranunculus). The buttercup is the national flower of the Faroe Islands.
Solomon m Biblical, English, Jewish, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekFrom the Hebrew name
שְׁלֹמֹה (Shelomoh), which was derived from Hebrew
שָׁלוֹם (shalom) meaning "peace". As told in the Old Testament, Solomon was a king of Israel, the son of
David and
Bathsheba. He was renowned for his wisdom and wealth. Towards the end of his reign he angered God by turning to idolatry. Supposedly, he was the author of the Book of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon.
... [more] Solon m Ancient GreekPossibly from Greek
σόλος (solos) meaning
"lump of iron". This was the name of an Athenian statesman who reformed the laws and government of the city.
Solveig f Norwegian, Swedish, DanishFrom an Old Norse name, which was derived from the elements
sól "sun" and
veig "strength". This is the name of the heroine in Henrik Ibsen's play
Peer Gynt (1876).
Sōma m JapaneseFrom Japanese
颯 (sō) meaning "sudden, sound of the wind" and
真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Soma m HungarianFrom Hungarian
som meaning
"dogwood, cornel tree".
Somboon m ThaiDerived from Thai
สม (som) meaning "worthy" and
บุญ (bun) meaning "merit".
Somchai m ThaiDerived from Thai
สม (som) meaning "worthy" combined with
ชาย (chai) meaning "man" or
ชัย (chai) meaning "victory".
Somerled m Old Norse (Anglicized)Anglicized form of the Old Norse name
Sumarliði meaning
"summer traveller". This was the name of a 12th-century Norse-Gaelic king of Mann and the Scottish Isles.
Somporn m ThaiDerived from Thai
สม (som) meaning "worthy" and
พร (phon) meaning "blessing".
Somsak m ThaiDerived from Thai
สม (som) meaning "worthy" and
ศักดิ์ (sak) meaning "power, honour".
Sona 1 f HindiMeans
"gold" in Hindi, derived from Sanskrit
सुवर्ण (suvarna) meaning literally "good colour".
Sondra f EnglishVariant of
Sandra. It was popularized in the English-speaking world by a character in Theodore Dreiser's novel
An American Tragedy (1925) and the subsequent movie adaptation (1931).
Sondre m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Sundri, possibly from Old Norse
sunn meaning
"south".
Songül f TurkishFrom Turkish
son meaning "last, final" and
gül meaning "rose".
Sonic m Popular CultureFrom the English word
sonic meaning
"related to sound", derived from Latin
sonus meaning "sound". It also connotates speediness, or the speed of sound, due to words like
supersonic or
hypersonic. A notable fictional bearer is the speedy video game character Sonic the Hedgehog, introduced in 1991 by Sega. He is called
ソニック (Sonikku) in Japan.
Sonja f German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Slovene, Serbian, Croatian, MacedonianForm of
Sonya in various languages.
Sonnhild f German (Rare)From German
Sonne meaning "sun" combined with the Old German element
hilt meaning "battle". This name was created in the modern era.
Sonny m EnglishFrom a nickname that is commonly used to denote a young boy, derived from the English word
son.
Sons-ee-ah-ray f ApachePossibly means
"morning star" from Apache
sons-ee-ah-ray. This name was featured in the western movie
Broken Arrow (1950).
Sonsoles f SpanishFrom a Spanish title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora de Sonsoles, meaning "Our Lady of Sonsoles". Sonsoles is a sanctuary in the Spanish province of Ávila, which contains a famous statue of Mary.
Sonya f Russian, EnglishRussian diminutive of
Sophia. This is the name of a character in Leo Tolstoy's novel
War and Peace (1869, English translation 1886).
Sopdet f Egyptian MythologyFrom Egyptian
spdt meaning
"triangle", derived from
spd meaning "to be sharp" and a feminine
t suffix. This was the name of the Egyptian goddess of the star Sirius.
Sophia f English, Greek, German, Ancient GreekMeans
"wisdom" in Greek. This was the name of an early, probably mythical, saint who died of grief after her three daughters were martyred during the reign of the emperor Hadrian. Legends about her probably arose as a result of a medieval misunderstanding of the phrase
Hagia Sophia "Holy Wisdom", which is the name of a large basilica in Constantinople.
... [more] Sophonisba f Phoenician (Latinized), HistoryFrom the Punic name
𐤑𐤐𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋 (Ṣapanbaʿl) probably meaning
"Ba'al conceals", derived from Phoenician
𐤑𐤐𐤍 (ṣapan) possibly meaning "to hide, to conceal" combined with the name of the god
Ba'al. Sophonisba was a 3rd-century BC Carthaginian princess who killed herself rather than surrender to the Romans. Her name was recorded in this form by Roman historians such as Livy. She later became a popular subject of plays from the 16th century onwards.
Sophron m Ancient GreekMeans
"self-controlled, sensible" in Greek. This name was borne by the 5th-century BC writer Sophron of Syracuse.
Sora f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
空 (sora) or
昊 (sora) both meaning "sky". Other kanji with the same pronunciations can also form this name.
Sorcha f Irish, Scottish GaelicMeans
"radiant, bright" in Irish. It has been in use since late medieval times. It is sometimes Anglicized as
Sarah (in Ireland) and
Clara (in Scotland).
Søren m DanishDanish form of
Severinus. Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) was a Danish philosopher who is regarded as a precursor of existentialism.
Sorin m RomanianPossibly derived from Romanian
soare meaning
"sun".
Sorrel f English (Rare)From the name of the sour tasting plant, derived from Old French
sur "sour", a word of Frankish origin.
Sosigenes m Ancient GreekMeans
"born safely" from Greek
σῶς (sos) meaning "safe, whole, unwounded" and
γενής (genes) meaning "born". This was the name of an astronomer from Alexandria employed by Julius Caesar to correct the Roman calendar.
Sosruko m Caucasian MythologyDerived from Turkic
suslä meaning
"menacing". This is the name of a trickster god in Caucasian mythology. He is the hero of the Nart sagas.
Sōta m JapaneseFrom Japanese
颯 (sō) meaning "sudden, sound of the wind" and
太 (ta) meaning "thick, big, great". This name can also be formed of other kanji combinations.
Sothy m & f KhmerMeans
"intelligence, wisdom" in Khmer.
Spartacus m HistoryMeans
"from the city of Sparta" in Latin. Spartacus was the name of a Thracian-born Roman slave who led a slave revolt in Italy in the 1st century BC. He was eventually killed in battle and many of his followers were crucified.
Spencer m EnglishFrom an English surname that meant
"dispenser of provisions", derived from Middle English
spense "larder, pantry". A famous bearer was American actor Spencer Tracy (1900-1967). It was also the surname of Princess Diana (1961-1997).
Spes f Roman MythologyMeans
"hope" in Latin. In Roman mythology this was the name of the personification of hope.
Spike m EnglishFrom a nickname that may have originally been given to a person with spiky hair.
Spirit f English (Rare)From the English word
spirit, ultimately from Latin
spiritus "breath, energy", a derivative of
spirare "to blow".
Spock m Popular CultureThe name of a half-Vulcan, half-human Starfleet officer on the
Star Trek television series (1966-1969), later appearing in several movies. His name was invented by the writers, based on their rules that Vulcan names must start with an
S and end with a
k. In a 1985 tie-in novel his full name is said to be S'chn T'gai Spock (
S'chn T'gai is the family name, since it is also borne by his father S'chn T'gai Sarek; this is despite the fact that he is often addressed as
Mr. Spock by characters on the show).
Spring f EnglishFrom the name of the season, ultimately from Old English
springan "to leap, to burst forth".
Sprita f EsperantoMeans
"witty, lively" in Esperanto, ultimately from Latin
spiritus "breath, energy".
Spurius m Ancient RomanRoman praenomen, or given name, which is of uncertain meaning, probably of Etruscan origin. It may be related to the Late Latin word
spurius "of illegitimate birth", which was derived from Etruscan
srural "public".
Spyridon m Greek, Late GreekLate Greek name derived from Greek
σπυρίδιον (spyridion) meaning
"basket" or Latin
spiritus meaning
"spirit". Saint Spyridon was a 4th-century sheep farmer who became the bishop of Tremithus and suffered during the persecutions of Diocletian.
Srbuhi f ArmenianMeans
"holy woman, female saint" in Armenian, derived from
սուրբ (surb) meaning "holy, sacred".