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.
Seymour m EnglishFrom a Norman surname that originally belonged to a person coming from the French town of Saint Maur (which means "Saint
Maurus").
Shadrach m BiblicalMeans
"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.
Shahin m Persian, ArabicMeans
"falcon" in Persian, referring more specifically to the Barbary falcon (species Falco pelegrinoides). The bird's name is a derivative of Persian
شاه (shah) meaning "king".
Shahjahan m UrduMeans
"king of the world" from Persian
شاه (shah) meaning "king" and
جهان (jahan) meaning "world". This was the name of the 17th-century Mughal emperor who built the Taj Mahal.
Shahrokh m PersianMeans
"royal face" in Persian, from
شاه (shah) meaning "king" and
رخ (rokh) meaning "face". This was the name of a 15th-century ruler of the Timurid Empire (a son of
Timur).
Shakti f & m Hinduism, HindiMeans
"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.
Shamgar m BiblicalPossibly means
"sword" in Hebrew. Shamgar was one of the Old Testament judges.
Shane m Irish, EnglishAnglicized form of
Seán. It came into general use in America after the release of the western movie
Shane (1953).
Shankara m HinduismDerived from the Sanskrit elements
शम् (sham) meaning "auspicious, lucky" and
कर (kara) meaning "maker". This is another name of the Hindu god
Shiva. This was also the name of a 9th-century Indian religious philosopher also known as Shankaracharya.
Sharar m BiblicalMeans
"enemy" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of the father of Ahiam.
Shariah m ArabicMeans
"divine law, noble law" in Arabic, ultimately from an old Arabic word meaning "pathway".
Sharon f & m English, HebrewFrom an Old Testament place name, in Hebrew
שָׁרוֹן (Sharon) meaning
"plain", referring to a fertile plain on the central west coast of Israel. This is also the name of a flowering plant in the Bible, the rose of Sharon, a term now used to refer to several different species of flowers.
... [more] Shaun m EnglishAnglicized form of
Seán. This is the more common spelling in the United Kingdom and Australia, while
Shawn is preferred in the United States and Canada (though it got a boost in America after the singer Shaun Cassidy released his debut album in 1976).
Shaw m English (Rare)From a surname. As an English surname it is derived from Old English
sceaga meaning
"thicket". As a Scottish surname it is derived from the Gaelic byname
Sitheach meaning
"wolf".
Shawn m & f EnglishAnglicized form of
Seán, occasionally used as a feminine form. This is the most common spelling of this name in the United States and Canada, with
Shaun being more typical in the United Kingdom and Australia.
Sheard m English (Rare)From a surname that was originally from a place name meaning
"gap between hills" in Old English.
Sheba m BiblicalMeans
"oath" in Hebrew. This is the name of several characters in the Old Testament. Also in the Bible, this is a place name, referring to a region in Ethiopia. The queen of Sheba visited Solomon after hearing of his wisdom.
Shenandoah m Oneida (Anglicized)Variant of
Skenandoa, or from the name of the Shenandoah River (names that may or may not be connected). The traditional American folk song
Oh Shenandoah may refer to the Oneida chief Skenandoa or to the river; it is unclear.
Shepherd m EnglishFrom an English occupational surname meaning
"sheep herder, shepherd".
Sherlock m LiteratureUsed by Scottish author Arthur Conan Doyle for his character Sherlock Holmes, who was a detective in Doyle's mystery stories beginning in 1887. The character's name was from an English surname meaning "shear lock", originally referring to a person with closely cut hair.
Sherwood m EnglishFrom an English place name (or from a surname that was derived from it) meaning
"bright forest". This was the name of the forest in which the legendary outlaw Robin Hood made his home.
Shigeru m JapaneseFrom Japanese
茂 (shigeru) meaning "lush, luxuriant", as well as other kanji having the same reading. A famous bearer is the Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto (1952-).
Shin m JapaneseFrom Japanese
真 (shin) meaning "real, genuine" or other kanji with the same pronunciation.
Shinobu m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
忍 (shinobu) meaning "endurance, patience", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations having the same pronunciation.
Shinsuke m JapaneseFrom Japanese
伸 (shin) meaning "extend, stretch, open" or
真 (shin) meaning "real, genuine" combined with
介 (suke) meaning "help, assist". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji characters.
Sho m JapaneseAlternate transcription of Japanese Kanji
翔 or
奨 (see
Shō).
Sholto m ScottishProbably an Anglicized form of Gaelic
sìoltaich meaning
"sower, propagator". It has occasionally been used in the Douglas family since the 17th century, after David Hume of Godscroft claimed it was the name of the 7th-century founder of the clan.
Shōta m JapaneseFrom Japanese
翔 (shō) meaning "soar, glide" and
太 (ta) meaning "thick, big, great". Other combinations of kanji are also possible.
Shrek m Popular CultureDerived from German
Schreck or Yiddish
שרעק (shrek) meaning
"fright". This is the name of a large green ogre in the animated movie
Shrek (2001) and its sequels.
Shun 1 f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
顺 (shùn) meaning "obey, submit" or other characters that are pronounced similarly.
Shun 2 f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
駿 (shun) meaning "fast",
俊 (shun) meaning "talented", or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Siavash m Persian, Persian MythologyPersian form of Avestan
𐬯𐬌𐬌𐬁𐬎𐬎𐬀𐬭𐬱𐬀𐬥 (Siiāuuarshan) meaning
"possessing black stallions". This was the name of a virtuous prince in Iranian mythology. He appears briefly in the
Avesta, with a longer account recorded in the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh.
Sidney m & f EnglishFrom the English surname
Sidney. It was first used as a given name in honour of executed politician Algernon Sidney (1622-1683). Another notable bearer of the surname was the poet and statesman Philip Sidney (1554-1586).
... [more] Sidonius m Late RomanLatin name meaning
"of Sidon". Sidon was an ancient Phoenician city corresponding to modern-day Saida in Lebanon. This name was borne by the 5th-century saint Sidonius Apollinaris, a 5th-century bishop of Clermont.
Siegbert m GermanDerived from the Old German elements
sigu "victory" and
beraht "bright". This was the name of several Frankish kings, including the 7th-century Sigebert III of Austrasia who is regarded as a saint.
Siegfried m German, Germanic MythologyDerived from the Old German elements
sigu "victory" and
fridu "peace". Siegfried was a hero from German legend, the chief character in the
Nibelungenlied. He secretly helped the Burgundian king
Gunther overcome the challenges set out by the Icelandic queen
Brunhild so that Gunther might win her hand. In exchange, Gunther consented to the marriage of Siegfried and his sister
Kriemhild. Years later, after a dispute between Brunhild and Kriemhild, Siegfried was murdered by
Hagen with Gunther's consent. He was stabbed in his one vulnerable spot on the small of his back, which had been covered by a leaf while he bathed in dragon's blood. He is a parallel to the Norse hero
Sigurd. The story was later adapted by Richard Wagner to form part of his opera
The Ring of the Nibelung (1876).
Sigeberht m Anglo-SaxonMeans
"bright victory", derived from Old English
sige "victory" and
beorht "bright" (a cognate of
Siegbert). This was the name of a king of Wessex. The name fell out of use after the Norman Conquest.
Sigismund m German (Rare), GermanicForm of
Sigmund in which the first element is
sigis, an extended form of
sigu. Saint Sigismund was a 6th-century king of the Burgundians. This was also the name of kings of Poland and a ruler of the Holy Roman Empire.
Sigmund m German, Norwegian, English, Norse MythologyDerived from the Old German elements
sigu "victory" and
munt "protection" (or in the case of the Scandinavian cognate, from Old Norse
sigr and
mundr). An early variant of this name was
Sigismund, borne by a 6th-century saint and king of the Burgundians. In the Norse
Völsungasaga Sigmund is the hero
Sigurd's father, the bearer of the powerful sword Gram. A notable bearer was the Austrian psychologist Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), the creator of the revolutionary theory of psychoanalysis.
Sigurd m Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Norse MythologyFrom the Old Norse name
Sigurðr, which was derived from the elements
sigr "victory" and
vǫrðr "guard, guardian". Sigurd was the hero of the Norse epic the
Völsungasaga, which tells how his foster-father Regin sent him to recover a hoard of gold guarded by the dragon Fafnir. After slaying the dragon Sigurd tasted some of its blood, enabling him to understand the language of birds, who told him that Regin was planning to betray him. In a later adventure, Sigurd disguised himself as
Gunnar (his wife
Gudrun's brother) and rescued the maiden
Brynhildr from a ring of fire, with the result that Gunnar and Brynhildr were married. When the truth eventually came out, Brynhildr took revenge upon Sigurd. The stories of the German hero
Siegfried were in part based on him.
Sikke m FrisianOriginally a short form of names beginning with the Old German element
sigu meaning
"victory".
Silvester m Slovak, Slovene, Serbian, German, English, Late RomanFrom a Latin name meaning
"wooded, wild", derived from
silva "wood, forest". This was the name of three popes, including Saint Silvester I who supposedly baptized the first Christian Roman emperor,
Constantine the Great. As an English name,
Silvester (or
Sylvester) has been in use since the Middle Ages, though it became less common after the Protestant Reformation.
Silvius m Late Roman, Roman MythologyDerived from Latin
silva meaning
"wood, forest". This was the family name of several of the legendary kings of Alba Longa. It was also the name of an early saint martyred in Alexandria.
Simba 2 m SwahiliMeans
"lion" in Swahili. This is the name of the main character in the Disney movie
The Lion King (1994), about a lion cub who exiles himself after his father is murdered.
Simeon m Biblical, Bulgarian, SerbianFrom
Συμεών (Symeon), the Old Testament Greek form of the Hebrew name
Shim'on (see
Simon 1). In the Old Testament this is the name of the second son of
Jacob and
Leah and the founder of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. In the New Testament the Greek rendering
Σίμων (Simon) is more common, though
Συμεών occurs belonging to a man who blessed the newborn
Jesus. He is recognized as a saint in most Christian traditions.
... [more] Simon 2 m Ancient Greek, Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
σιμός (simos) meaning
"flat-nosed". In Greek mythology this was the name of one of the Telchines, demigods who were the original inhabitants of Rhodes.
Simonides m Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
σιμός (simos) meaning "flat-nosed" and the patronymic suffix
ἴδης (ides). This name was borne by the 7th-century BC iambic poet Simonides of Amorgos and the 6th-century BC lyric poet Simonides of Ceos.
Sin m Semitic MythologyFrom earlier Akkadian
Su'en, of unknown meaning. This was the name of the Akkadian, Assyrian and Babylonian god of the moon. He was closely identified with the Sumerian god
Nanna.
Singh m Indian (Sikh)From Sanskrit
सिंह (sinha) meaning
"lion". In 1699 Guru Gobind Singh gave all his male Sikh followers the surname
Singh, and it is now a very common surname or a middle name. The female equivalent is
Kaur.
Sirius m AstronomyThe name of a bright star in the constellation Canis Major, derived via Latin from Greek
σείριος (seirios) meaning
"burning".
Sisu m FinnishMeans
"willpower, determination, strength" in Finnish.
Sixten m SwedishFrom the Old Norse name
Sigsteinn, which was derived from the elements
sigr "victory" and
steinn "stone".
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Soma m HungarianFrom Hungarian
som meaning
"dogwood, cornel tree".
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".
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.
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".
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).
Spike m EnglishFrom a nickname that may have originally been given to a person with spiky hair.
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).
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.
Stafford m EnglishFrom a surname that was from a place name meaning
"landing-place ford" in Old English.
Stanford m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"stone ford" in Old English.
Stavros m GreekMeans
"cross" in Greek, referring to the cross of the crucifixion.
Stefan m German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Polish, Bulgarian, Serbian, MacedonianForm of
Stephen used in several languages. Famous bearers include the Serbian rulers Stefan Nemanja, Stefan Nemanjić, and Stefan Lazarević, who are all considered saints in the Orthodox Church.
Stefanus m DutchOfficial Dutch form of
Stephen, used on birth certificates but not commonly in daily life.
Stellan m SwedishMeaning unknown, perhaps related to Old Norse
stilling "calm", or perhaps of German origin.
Stephen m English, BiblicalFrom the Greek name
Στέφανος (Stephanos) meaning
"crown, wreath", more precisely
"that which surrounds". Saint Stephen was a deacon who was stoned to death, as told in Acts in the New Testament. He is regarded as the first Christian martyr. Due to him, the name became common in the Christian world. It was popularized in England by the Normans.
... [more] Sterling m EnglishFrom a Scots surname that was derived from city of Stirling, which is itself of unknown meaning. The name can also be given in reference to the English word
sterling meaning "excellent". In this case, the word derives from sterling silver, which was so named because of the emblem that some Norman coins bore, from Old English meaning "little star".
Steve m EnglishShort form of
Steven. A notable bearer was American technology entrepreneur Steve Jobs (1955-2011).
Steven m English, DutchMedieval English variant of
Stephen, and a Dutch variant of
Stefan. The filmmaker Steven Spielberg (1946-), director of
E.T. and
Indiana Jones, is a famous bearer of this name.
Stribog m Slavic MythologyPossibly from Old Slavic
sterti "to extend, to spread" and
bogŭ "god". Alternatively it could come from
strybati "to flow, to move quickly". Stribog was a Slavic god who was possibly associated with the wind.
Stuart m English, ScottishFrom a Scottish occupational surname originally belonging to a person who was a steward. It is ultimately derived from Old English
stig "house" and
weard "guard". As a given name, it arose in 19th-century Scotland in honour of the Stuart royal family, which produced several kings and queens of Scotland and Britain between the 14th and 18th centuries.
Stylianos m Greek, Late GreekDerived from Greek
στῦλος (stylos) meaning
"pillar". Saint Stylianos was a 7th-century hermit from Adrianopolis in Asia Minor who is regarded as a patron saint of children.
Suero m Medieval SpanishMedieval Spanish form of
Suarius, possibly a Latinized form of a Germanic (perhaps Suebian or Visigothic) name derived from *
swēraz meaning
"heavy, serious".
Suhail m Arabic, UrduDerived from Arabic
سَهُلَ (sahula) meaning
"level, even". This is the Arabic name of the second brightest star in the sky, known in the western world as Canopus. It is also the official (IAU) name of the third brightest star in the constellation Vela.
Suharto m JavaneseFrom Sanskrit
सु (su) meaning "good" and
अर्थ (artha) meaning "wealth, property" (borrowed into Indonesian as
harta). This was the name of an Indonesian general (1921-2008) who seized power to become the country's second president.
Sujay m Bengali, MarathiMeans
"great victory", derived from the Sanskrit prefix
सु (su) meaning "good" combined with
जय (jaya) meaning "victory".
Süleyman m Turkish, AzerbaijaniTurkish form of
Solomon. Süleyman the Magnificent was a sultan of the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century. He expanded Ottoman territory into Europe and Persia, reformed the government, and completed several great building projects.
Sullivan m English, FrenchFrom an Irish surname, the Anglicized form of
Ó Súileabháin, itself from the given name
Súileabhán, which was derived from Irish
súil "eye" and
dubh "dark, black" combined with a diminutive suffix. This name has achieved a moderate level of popularity in France since the 1970s. In the United States it was rare before the 1990s, after which it began climbing steadily. A famous fictional bearer of the surname was James P. Sullivan from the animated movie
Monsters, Inc. (2001).
Sultan m & f Arabic, Turkish, Azerbaijani, Urdu, Bengali, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, AvarMeans
"ruler, king, sultan" in Arabic. In the Arab world this name is typically masculine, but Turkey it is given to both boys and girls.
Summanus m Roman MythologyMeans
"before the morning", derived from Latin
sub "under, before" and
mane "morning". Summanus was the Roman god of the night sky and night lightning, a nocturnal counterpart to
Jupiter.
Sunil m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, Gujarati, Punjabi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, NepaliFrom Sanskrit
सु (su) meaning "good, very" combined with
नील (nila) meaning "dark blue".
Sutton f & m English (Modern)From a surname, itself derived from the name of numerous English towns, of Old English origin meaning
"south town".
Svarog m Slavic MythologyProbably means
"fire", from Old Slavic
sŭvarŭ meaning "heat". This was the name of a Slavic god associated with blacksmithing.
Sverre m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Sverrir meaning
"wild, swinging, spinning".
Svyatoslav m Russian, UkrainianDerived from the Slavic elements
svętŭ "sacred, holy" and
slava "glory". This was the name of a 10th-century ruler of Kievan Rus, the son of
Igor and
Olga, and the first to have a name of Slavic origin instead of Old Norse.
Swithin m HistoryFrom the Old English name
Swiðhun or
Swiþhun, derived from
swiþ "strong" and perhaps
hun "bear cub". Saint Swithin was a 9th-century bishop of Winchester.
Sylvan m EnglishEither a variant of
Silvanus or directly from the Latin word
silva meaning
"wood, forest".
Tacitus m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen meaning
"silent, mute" in Latin. This was the name of a 1st-century Roman historian, known for writing the
Histories and the
Annals.
Tadeusz m PolishPolish form of
Thaddeus. This name is borne by Tadeusz Soplica, the title character in Adam Mickiewicz's epic poem
Pan Tadeusz (1834), which is considered to be the national epic of Poland.
Tadhg m Irish, Irish MythologyFrom Old Irish
Tadg meaning
"poet". This was the name of an 11th-century king of Connacht, as well as several other kings and chieftains of medieval Ireland. According to Irish mythology it was the name of the grandfather of
Fionn mac Cumhaill.
Tafadzwa m & f ShonaMeans
"we are pleased" in Shona, from
fadza meaning "please, make happy".
Tafari m Amharic (Rare)Possibly means
"he who inspires awe" in Amharic. This name was borne by Lij Tafari Makonnen (1892-1975), also known as Haile Selassie, the last emperor of Ethiopia. Rastafarians (
Ras Tafari meaning "king Tafari") revere him as the earthly incarnation of God.
Tage m Danish, SwedishFrom the medieval Danish byname
Taki, derived from Old Norse
taka meaning "to take, to capture".