Sati f HinduismFrom Sanskrit
सत् (sat) meaning
"true, virtuous". This is the name of a Hindu goddess, the first wife of
Shiva. A daughter of King
Daksha, she threw herself onto a fire when her husband was insulted by her father. After her death she was eventually reborn as the goddess
Parvati.
Satomi f JapaneseFrom Japanese
里 (sato) meaning "village" or
聡 (sato) meaning "intelligent, clever, bright" combined with
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Savannah f EnglishFrom the English word for the large grassy plain, ultimately deriving from the Taino (Native American) word
zabana. It came into use as a given name in America in the 19th century. It was revived in the 1980s by the movie
Savannah Smiles (1982).
Savitri f Hinduism, Hindi, MarathiMeans
"of the sun" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a hymn in the
Rigveda dedicated to
Savitr, a sun god. This is also the name of Savitr's daughter, a wife of
Brahma, considered an aspect of
Saraswati. In the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata it is borne by King Satyavan's wife, who successfully pleas with
Yama, the god of death, to restore her husband to life.
Sayaka f JapaneseFrom Japanese
沙 (sa) meaning "sand" or
紗 (sa) meaning "thread, silk" with
也 (ya) meaning "also" or
耶 (ya), an interjection, combined with
香 (ka) meaning "fragrance" or
加 (ka) meaning "increase". This name can also be composed of other kanji combinations. It is often written using the hiragana writing system.
Sayuri f JapaneseFrom Japanese
小 (sa) meaning "small" and
百合 (yuri) meaning "lily". This name can also be composed of other kanji combinations.
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 (saqrelāṭ)). 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Senga f ScottishSometimes explained as an anagram of
Agnes, but more likely derived from Gaelic
seang "slender".
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.
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.
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.
Seraiah m BiblicalMeans
"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.
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] 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".
Sethunya f TswanaMeans
"bloom, flower" in Tswana, derived from
thunya "to bloom".
Sevda f Turkish, AzerbaijaniMeans
"love, infatuation" in Turkish and Azerbaijani, ultimately from Arabic
سوداء (sawdāʾ) meaning "black bile, melancholy, sadness".
Shahrazad f Persian (Rare), ArabicPossibly 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.
Shaima f ArabicPossibly means
"beauty marks" in Arabic. This was the name of the daughter of
Halima, the foster mother of the Prophet
Muhammad.
Shakira f ArabicFeminine form of
Shakir. A famous bearer is the Colombian singer Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll (1977-), known simply as Shakira.
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.
Shakuntala f Hinduism, Hindi, MarathiDerived 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.
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".
Shankara m HinduismDerived 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.
Shannon f & m EnglishFrom 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.
Shanta f Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, NepaliMeans
"pacified, calm" in Sanskrit. In the Hindu epic the
Ramayana this is the name of a princess of Anga who marries Rishyasringa.
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] Shawnee f English (Modern)Means
"southern people" in the Algonquin language. The Shawnee were an Algonquin tribe who originally lived in the Ohio valley.
Sheba m BiblicalProbably from the name of the Sabaean people, who had a kingdom in the southern Arabian Peninsula and eastern Ethiopia.
Sheba is a place name in the Old Testament, famous as the home of the Queen of Sheba, who visited King
Solomon after hearing of his wisdom. This name is also borne by several male characters in the Bible.
Sheena f Scottish, EnglishAnglicized form of
Sìne. This name was popularized outside of Scotland in the 1980s by the singer Sheena Easton (1959-).
Shekinah f VariousFrom the Hebrew word
שׁכִינה (sheḵina) meaning
"God's manifested glory" or
"God's presence". This word does not appear in the Bible, but later Jewish scholars used it to refer to the dwelling place of God, especially the Temple in Jerusalem.
Shelby m & f EnglishFrom an English surname, which was possibly a variant of
Selby. Though previously in use as a rare masculine name, it was popularized as a feminine name by the main character in the movie
The Woman in Red (1935). It was later reinforced by the movie
Steel Magnolias (1989) in which Julia Roberts played a character by this name.
Shell f EnglishShort form of
Michelle or
Shelley. It can also be simply from the English word
shell (ultimately from Old English
sciell).
Shelley f & m EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"clearing on a bank" in Old English. Two famous bearers of the surname were Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822), a romantic poet whose works include
Adonais and
Ozymandias, and Mary Shelley (1797-1851), his wife, the author of the horror story
Frankenstein. As a feminine given name, it came into general use after the 1940s.
Sheree f EnglishVariant of
Sherry or
Cherie. This particular spelling was popularized by American actress Sheree North (1932-2005), who was born Dawn Shirley Crang.
Sherry f EnglishProbably inspired by the French word
chérie meaning
"darling" or the English word
sherry, a type of fortified wine named from the Spanish town of Jerez. This name came into popular use during the 1920s, inspired by other similar-sounding names and by Collette's novels
Chéri (1920, English translation 1929) and
The Last of Chéri (1926, English translation 1932), in which it is a masculine name.
... [more] Shiori f & m JapaneseAs a feminine name it can be from Japanese
詩 (shi) meaning "poem" combined with
織 (ori) meaning "weave". It can also be from
栞 (shiori) meaning "bookmark" (usually feminine) or
撓 (shiori) meaning "lithe, bending" (usually masculine), as well as other kanji or kanji combinations.
Shiphrah f BiblicalMeans
"beautiful" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the midwives (the other being
Puah) who disobeys the Pharaoh's order to kill any Hebrew boys they deliver.
Shirin f PersianMeans
"sweet" in Persian. This was the name of a character in Persian and Turkish legend.
Shirley f & m EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"bright clearing" in Old English. This is the name of a main character in Charlotte Brontë's semi-autobiographical novel
Shirley (1849). Though the name was already popular in the United States, the child actress Shirley Temple (1928-2014) gave it a further boost. By 1935 it was the second most common name for girls.
Shizuka f JapaneseFrom Japanese
静 (shizu) meaning "quiet" combined with
夏 (ka) meaning "summer" or
香 (ka) meaning "fragrance". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Shona f ScottishAnglicized form of
Seonag or
Seònaid. Though unconnected, this is also the name of an ethnic group who live in the south of Africa, mainly Zimbabwe.
Shprintze f Yiddish (Rare)Possibly a Yiddish form of
Esperanza. This is the name of Tevye's fourth daughter in the musical
Fiddler on the Roof (1964), based on the late 19th-century Yiddish stories of Sholem Aleichem.
Shqipe f AlbanianFrom Albanian
shqip meaning
"Albanian". Additionally, the word
shqipe means
"eagle" in modern Albanian, a variant of older
shkabë. These interrelated words are often the subject of competing claims that the one is derived from the other. The ultimate origin of
shqip "Albanian" is uncertain, but it may be from
shqipoj meaning "to say clearly".
Shri f HinduismMeans
"diffusing light, radiance, beauty" in Sanskrit, a word used as a title of respect in India. This is another name of the Hindu goddess
Lakshmi.
Shufen f ChineseFrom Chinese
淑 (shū) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming" combined with
芬 (fēn) meaning "fragrance, aroma, perfume". Other character combinations are possible as well.
Sibyl f EnglishFrom Greek
Σίβυλλα (Sibylla), meaning
"prophetess, sibyl". In Greek and Roman legend the sibyls were female prophets who practiced at different holy sites in the ancient world. In later Christian theology, the sibyls were thought to have divine knowledge and were revered in much the same way as the Old Testament prophets. Because of this, the name came into general use in the Christian world during the Middle Ages. The Normans imported it to England, where it was spelled both
Sibyl and
Sybil. It became rare after the Protestant Reformation, but it was revived in the 19th century, perhaps helped by Benjamin Disraeli's novel
Sybil (1845).
Sidonia f Late Roman, GeorgianFeminine form of
Sidonius. This is the name of a legendary saint from Georgia. She and her father Abiathar were supposedly converted by Saint
Nino from Judaism to Christianity.
Sidony f English (Archaic)Feminine form of
Sidonius. This name was in use in the Middle Ages, when it became associated with the word
sindon (of Greek origin) meaning "linen", a reference to the Shroud of Turin.
Sienna f English (Modern)From the English word meaning
"orange-red". It is ultimately from the name of the city of
Siena in Italy, because of the colour of the clay there.
Sierra f English (Modern)Means
"mountain range" in Spanish, referring specifically to a mountain range with jagged peaks.
Silvia f Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, German, Dutch, English, Late Roman, Roman MythologyFeminine form of
Silvius.
Rhea Silvia was the mother of
Romulus and
Remus, the founders of Rome. This was also the name of a 6th-century saint, the mother of the pope Gregory the Great. It has been a common name in Italy since the Middle Ages. It was introduced to England by Shakespeare, who used it for a character in his play
The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594). It is now more commonly spelled
Sylvia in the English-speaking world.
Sini f FinnishMeans
"blue" in Finnish. More specifically,
sini is a poetic term for the colour blue.
Síofra f IrishMeans
"elf, sprite" in Irish. This name was created in the 20th century.
Siriporn f ThaiDerived from Thai
ศิริ (sir) meaning "glory, splendour" and
พร (phon) meaning "blessing".
Sirpa f FinnishDerived from Finnish
sirpale meaning
"small piece, fragment".
Sita f Hinduism, Hindi, NepaliMeans
"furrow" in Sanskrit. Sita is the name of the Hindu goddess of the harvest in the
Rigveda. This is also the name of the wife of
Rama (and an avatar of
Lakshmi) in the Hindu epic the
Ramayana. In this story Sita is abducted by the demon king
Ravana, with her husband and his allies attempting to rescue her.
Sitara f UrduMeans
"star" in Urdu, ultimately from Persian.
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.
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.
Smiljana f Croatian, SerbianFrom the Serbo-Croatian word
smilje, a type of plant, known as everlasting or immortelle in English (genus Helichrysum).