Names Deemed "strange"

This is a list of names in which the community's impression is strange.
gender
usage
impression
​
Skadi f Norse Mythology
Variant of Skaði.
Skaði f Norse Mythology
Means "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.
Skender m Bosnian
Short form of Aleksandar.
Skuld f Norse Mythology
Means "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.
Skyla f English (Modern)
Feminine variant of Skyler, formed using the popular name suffix la.
Slade m English (Modern)
From an English surname that was derived from Old English slæd meaning "valley".
Sláine f & m Old Irish, Irish Mythology
From 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, Serbian
Means "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.
Slavica f Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Macedonian
From the Slavic element slava meaning "glory" combined with a diminutive suffix. It was originally a diminutive of names containing that element.
Slavomír m Czech, Slovak
Czech and Slovak form of Sławomir.
Sloan f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Sloane.
Sloane f English (Modern)
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Sluaghadháin, itself derived from the given name Sluaghadhán.
Slobodan m Serbian, Macedonian, Croatian
From South Slavic sloboda meaning "freedom".
Slobodanka f Serbian, Croatian
Feminine form of Slobodan.
Sluaghadhán m Medieval Irish
Derived from Irish sluaghadh meaning "raid, mobilization" and a diminutive suffix.
Sly m English
Short form of Sylvester. The actor Sylvester Stallone (1946-) is a well-known bearer of this nickname.
Smaragdos m Late Greek
Means "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.
Smiljana f Croatian, Serbian
From the Serbo-Croatian word smilje, a type of plant, known as everlasting or immortelle in English (genus Helichrysum).
Sneha f Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Kannada
Means "love, tenderness" in Sanskrit.
Snežana f Serbian, Macedonian, Slovene
Serbian, Macedonian and Slovene form of Snježana.
Snezhana f Russian, Bulgarian, Macedonian
Russian and Bulgarian form of Snježana, as well as an alternate transcription of Macedonian Снежана (see Snežana).
Snježana f Croatian, Serbian
Derived from the Serbo-Croatian word snežan meaning "snowy".
Snorri m Old Norse, Icelandic
Derived 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 f English (Rare)
From the English word, derived from Old English snāw.
Snow White f Literature
English 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.
Sobiesława f Polish (Rare)
Polish feminine form of Sobiesław.
Socorro f Spanish
Means "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.
Sofija f Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Macedonian, Latvian, Lithuanian
Form of Sophia in several languages.
Sofronio m Spanish (Philippines)
Spanish form of Sophronius.
Sohail m Urdu
Alternate transcription of Urdu سہیل (see Suhail).
Soheil m Persian
Persian form of Suhail.
Sohrab m Persian, Persian Mythology
From 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.
Sohvi f Finnish
Finnish form of Sophia.
Soili f Finnish
Variant of Soile.
Sol 1 f Spanish, Portuguese
Means "sun" in Spanish or Portuguese.
Sol 2 m Jewish
Short form of Solomon.
Solange f French
French 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.
Sole f Italian
Means "sun" in Italian.
Soledad f Spanish
Means "solitude" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary, María de la Soledad, meaning "Mary of Solitude".
Soleil f Various
Means "sun" in French. It is not commonly used as a name in France itself.
Solène f French
Variant of Solange.
Solfrid f Norwegian
From the Old Norse elements sól "sun" and fríðr "beautiful, beloved". This name was coined in the 19th century.
Soline f French
Variant of Solange.
Sollemnia f Late Roman
Latin form of Solange.
Solomiya f Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Salome.
Solomon m Biblical, English, Jewish, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
From 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 Greek
Possibly 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, Danish
From 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).
Solvig f Swedish
Swedish variant form of Solveig.
Soma m Hungarian
From Hungarian som meaning "dogwood, cornel tree".
Somayeh f Persian
Persian form of Sumayya.
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.
Somhairle m Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Sumarliði (see Somerled).
Sommer f English (Modern)
Variant of Summer, coinciding with the German word for summer.
Somporn m Thai
Derived from Thai สม (som) meaning "worthy" and พร (phon) meaning "blessing".
Sơn m Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese 山 (sơn) meaning "mountain".
Sonal f Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati
From Hindi सोना (sona), Marathi सोन (son) or Gujarati સોનું (sonum) meaning "gold", all derived from Sanskrit सुवर्ण (suvarna) meaning literally "good colour".
Songül f Turkish
From Turkish son meaning "last, final" and gül meaning "rose".
Sonic m Popular Culture
From 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, Macedonian
Form of Sonya in various languages.
Sonje f German (Rare)
German variant of Sonja.
Sopheap f & m Khmer
Means "gentle, proper" in Khmer.
Sophocles m Ancient Greek (Latinized)
From the Greek name Σοφοκλῆς (Sophokles), which was derived from Greek σοφός (sophos) meaning "skilled, clever" and κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory". Sophocles was a celebrated 5th-century BC dramatist from Athens.
Sophronia f Literature, Late Greek
Feminine form of Sophronius. Torquato Tasso used it in his epic poem Jerusalem Delivered (1580), in which it is borne by the lover of Olindo.
Sophronius m Late Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek name Σωφρόνιος (Sophronios), which was derived from Greek σώφρων (sophron) meaning "self-controlled, sensible". Saint Sophronius was a 7th-century patriarch of Jerusalem.
Sophus m Ancient Greek (Latinized)
From the Greek name Σόφος (Sophos) meaning "skilled, clever".
Sora f & m Japanese
From Japanese 空 (sora) or 昊 (sora) both meaning "sky". Other kanji with the same pronunciations can also form this name.
Soraya f Persian, Spanish, French, Portuguese (Brazilian)
Persian form of Thurayya. It became popular in some parts of Europe because of the fame of Princess Soraya (1932-2001), wife of the last Shah of Iran, who became a European socialite.
Sorcha f Irish, Scottish Gaelic
Means "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).
Sören m Swedish, German
Swedish and German form of Søren.
Søren m Danish
Danish form of Severinus. Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) was a Danish philosopher who is regarded as a precursor of existentialism.
Soren m English (Modern)
English form of Søren.
Sorin m Romanian
Possibly derived from Romanian soare meaning "sun".
Sorina f Romanian
Feminine form of Sorin.
Sorley m Scottish
Anglicized form of Somhairle.
Sorne f Basque (Rare)
Means "conception" in Basque. It was coined by Sabino Arana in 1910 as an equivalent of the Spanish name Concepción.
Soroush m Persian Mythology, Persian
Modern Persian form of Avestan 𐬯𐬭𐬀𐬊𐬱𐬀 (Sraosha) meaning "obedience". In Zoroastrianism this was the name of a Yazata (a holy being), later equated with the angel Gabriel.
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 Greek
Means "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.
Soslan m Ossetian
Ossetian form of Sosruko.
Sostrate f Ancient Greek
Means "safe army" from Greek σῶς (sos) meaning "safe, whole, unwounded" and στρατός (stratos) meaning "army".
Soth m Khmer
Means "pure, clean" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit शुद्ध (shuddha).
Sothy m & f Khmer
Means "intelligence, wisdom" in Khmer.
Sotiria f Greek
Feminine form of Sotirios.
Sotirios m Greek
Derived from Greek σωτήρ (soter) meaning "saviour, deliverer", referring to Jesus.
Sotiris m Greek
Variant of Sotirios.
Souma m Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 颯真 (see Sōma).
Sousanna f Biblical Greek
Greek form of Susanna.
Souta m Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 颯太 (see Sōta).
Sparrow m & f English (Rare)
From the name of the bird, ultimately from Old English spearwa.
Spartacus m History
Means "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.
Spartak m Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Albanian, Armenian, Georgian
Form of Spartacus in several languages.
Spas m Bulgarian
Derived from Bulgarian спасен (spasen) meaning "saved".
Špela f Slovene
Diminutive of Elizabeta.
Spike m English
From a nickname that may have originally been given to a person with spiky hair.
Spiridon m Greek, Serbian (Rare), Croatian (Rare)
Serbian and Croatian form of Spyridon, as well as an alternate transcription of the Greek name.
Spirit f English (Rare)
From the English word spirit, ultimately from Latin spiritus "breath, energy", a derivative of spirare "to blow".
Spiro m Greek (Anglicized)
Anglicized form of Spyros.
Spiros m Greek
Alternate transcription of Greek Σπύρος (see Spyros).
Spock m Popular Culture
The 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 English
From the name of the season, ultimately from Old English springan "to leap, to burst forth".
Sprita f Esperanto
Means "witty, lively" in Esperanto, ultimately from Latin spiritus "breath, energy".
Spyridon m Greek, Late Greek
Late 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.
Spyridoula f Greek
Feminine form of Spyridon.
Spyro m Greek (Anglicized)
Anglicized form of Spyros.
Spyros m Greek
Short form of Spyridon.
Srećko m Croatian, Serbian
Croatian and Serbian cognate of Srečko.
Sri m & f Telugu, Tamil, Indonesian
Indonesian and southern Indian form of Shri.
Srosh m Persian Mythology
Middle Persian form of Soroush.
Ssanyu f Ganda
Means "joy" in Luganda.
Staas m Dutch (Rare)
Dutch short form of Anastasius or Eustachius.
Stacia f English
Short form of Anastasia or Eustacia.
Staffan m Swedish
Swedish variant form of Stephen.
Stafford m English
From a surname that was from a place name meaning "landing-place ford" in Old English.
Stamatis m Greek
Variant of Stamatios.
Stamen m Bulgarian, Macedonian
Derived from Bulgarian and Macedonian стамен (stamen) meaning "firm".
Stana f Serbian, Croatian
Short form of Stanislava.
Stanimir m Bulgarian, Serbian
Derived from the Slavic elements stati "stand, become" (in an inflected form) and mirŭ "peace, world".
Stanislas m French
French form of Stanislav.
Stanisława f Polish
Feminine form of Stanisław.
Stanka f Slovene, Croatian, Bulgarian
Feminine form of Stanko.
Stanko m Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian
Originally a diminutive of Stanislav and other names derived from the Slavic element stati meaning "stand, become".
Starr f English
Variant of Star.
Stasya f Russian
Diminutive of Stanislava or Anastasiya.
Stathis m Greek
Short form of Efstathios.
Stav f & m Hebrew
Means "autumn" in Hebrew.
Stavros m Greek
Means "cross" in Greek, referring to the cross of the crucifixion.
Ștefan m Romanian
Romanian form of Stephen.
Stefán m Icelandic
Icelandic form of Stephen.
Stefana f Bulgarian, Serbian
Feminine form of Stefan.
Stefani f English, Bulgarian
English variant and Bulgarian form of Stephanie. A notable bearer is Stefani Germanotta (1986-), an American singer better known as Lady Gaga.
Ștefania f Romanian
Romanian feminine form of Ștefan (see Stephen).
Stefanus m Dutch
Official Dutch form of Stephen, used on birth certificates but not commonly in daily life.
Steffan m Welsh
Welsh form of Stephen.
Steffi f German
Diminutive of Stephanie.
Steinar m Norwegian
From the Old Norse name Steinarr, derived from the elements steinn "stone" and herr "army, warrior".
Stelara f Esperanto
From Esperanto stelaro meaning "constellation", ultimately from Latin stella "star".
Stelian m Romanian
Romanian form of Stylianos.
Steliana f Romanian
Romanian feminine form of Stylianos.
Stellan m Swedish
Meaning unknown, perhaps related to Old Norse stilling "calm", or perhaps of German origin.
Štěpán m Czech
Czech form of Stephen.
Stepan m Russian, Ukrainian, Armenian
Russian, Ukrainian and Armenian form of Stephanos (see Stephen).
Štěpánka f Czech
Czech feminine form of Stephen.
Steph f & m English
Short form of Stephanie or Stephen.
Stephania f English
Latinate feminine form of Stephen.
Stephanos m Ancient Greek, Biblical Greek, Greek
Greek form of Stephen. In Modern Greek it is usually transcribed Stefanos.
Stephanus m Biblical Latin
Latin form of Stephen.
Steponas m Lithuanian
Lithuanian form of Stephen.
Steren f Cornish
Means "star" in Cornish.
Sterling m English
From 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".
Sterre f Dutch
Derived from Dutch ster meaning "star".
Steven m English, Dutch
Medieval 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.
Stevo m Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian
Diminutive of Stevan.
Stian m Norwegian
Modern Norwegian form of Stígandr.
Stig m Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Modern form of Stigr.
Stígandr m Old Norse
Means "wanderer" in Old Norse.
Stigr m Old Norse
Means "path" in Old Norse.
Stijn m Dutch
Short form of Constantijn or Augustijn.
Stina f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Scandinavian short form of Christina and other names ending in stina.
Stirling m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant Sterling. This is the name of a city in Scotland.
Stjepan m Croatian, Serbian
Croatian and Serbian form of Stephen.
St John m English (British, Rare)
From the title and name of Saint John the Baptist or Saint John the Evangelist (see John).
Stojan m Macedonian, Serbian, Croatian, Slovene
Macedonian, Serbian, Croatian and Slovene form of Stoyan.
Storm m & f English (Modern), Dutch (Modern), Danish (Modern), Norwegian (Modern)
From the vocabulary word, ultimately from Old English or Old Dutch storm, or in the case of the Scandinavian name, from Old Norse stormr.
Stormi f English (Modern)
Variant of Stormy.
Stormy f English (Modern)
From the English word meaning "stormy, wild, turbulent", ultimately from Old English stormig.
Stoyan m Bulgarian
Derived from Bulgarian стоя (stoya) meaning "to stand, to stay".
Stribog m Slavic Mythology
Possibly 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.
Sture m Swedish, Medieval Scandinavian
Derived from Old Norse stura meaning "to be contrary". This was the name of three viceroys of Sweden.
Styliani f Greek
Feminine form of Stylianos.
Stylianos m Greek, Late Greek
Derived 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.
Suad f & m Arabic, Bosnian, Albanian
Alternate transcription of Arabic سعاد (see Su'ad). In Bosnia and Albania it is typically masculine.
Suarius m Germanic (Latinized)
Latin form of Suero.
Subhash m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali
Means "eloquent", derived from the Sanskrit prefix सु (su) meaning "good" combined with भाषा (bhasha) meaning "speech".
Su-Bin f & m Korean
From Sino-Korean 秀 (su) meaning "luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding" combined with 斌 (bin) meaning "refined". Other combinations of hanja characters can form this name as well.
Subira f Swahili
Means "patience" in Swahili.
Subrahmanya m Hinduism, Telugu
From the Sanskrit prefix सु (su) meaning "good" and ब्रह्मन् (brahman) meaning "transcendent reality, eternal truth". This is another name for the Hindu god Skanda.
Subramaniam m Tamil
Tamil variant of Subrahmanya.
Subramanian m Tamil
Tamil variant of Subrahmanya.
Suchart m Thai
Means "born into a good life" in Thai.
Sudarshan m Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada
Means "beautiful, good-looking" in Sanskrit, derived from the Sanskrit prefix सु (su) meaning "good" combined with दर्शन (darshana) meaning "seeing, observing".
Sudhir m Marathi, Hindi, Kannada, Telugu
Derived from the Sanskrit prefix सु (su) meaning "good, very" combined with धीर (dhira) meaning "wise, considerate".
Suero m Medieval Spanish
Medieval Spanish form of Suarius, possibly a Latinized form of a Germanic (perhaps Suebian or Visigothic) name derived from *swēraz meaning "heavy, serious".
Suha f Arabic
Means "forgotten, overlooked" in Arabic. Al-Suha (also called Alcor) is the name of a star in the constellation Ursa Major.
Suhail m Arabic, Urdu
Derived 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.
Suhaila f Arabic
Feminine form of Suhail.
Suibhne m Irish Mythology
From Old Irish Suibne, possibly derived from subae meaning "joy, pleasure". This was the name of several figures from early Irish history, including a 7th-century high king and an 8th-century saint. It also appears in the Irish legend Buile Suibhne (meaning "The Madness of Suibhne") about a king who goes insane after being cursed by Saint Rónán Finn.
Sujay m Bengali, Marathi
Means "great victory", derived from the Sanskrit prefix सु (su) meaning "good" combined with जय (jaya) meaning "victory".
Suk m Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 석 (see Seok).
Suki f English
Diminutive of Susanna or Susan.
Sukie f English
Diminutive of Susanna or Susan.
Sulabha f Marathi
Means "easy, simple, natural" in Sanskrit.
Sulaiman m Arabic, Indonesian, Malay
Alternate transcription of Arabic سليمان (see Sulayman), as well as the usual Indonesian and Malay form.
Suleiman m History
Westernized form of Süleyman.
Süleyman m Turkish, Azerbaijani
Turkish 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.
Sulisław m Polish (Archaic)
Derived from Slavic sulěi meaning "better" or "promise" combined with slava meaning "glory".
Suljo m Bosnian
Bosnian diminutive of Süleyman.
Sulo m Finnish
Means "charm, grace" in Finnish.
Sultan m & f Arabic, Turkish, Azerbaijani, Urdu, Bengali, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Avar
Means "ruler, king, sultan" in Arabic. In the Arab world this name is typically masculine, but Turkey it is given to both boys and girls.
Sultana f Arabic, Urdu, Bengali
Feminine form of Sultan.
Suman m & f Bengali, Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Kannada, Nepali
Means "well-disposed, good mind", derived from the Sanskrit prefix सु (su) meaning "good" combined with मनस् (manas) meaning "mind".
Sumantra m Bengali
Means "following good advice", from the Sanskrit prefix सु (su) meaning "good" combined with मन्त्र (mantra) meaning "instrument of thought, prayer, advice".
Sumati f Hinduism, Hindi
Means "wise, good mind", derived from Sanskrit सु (su) meaning "good" and मति (mati) meaning "mind, thought". In the Hindu epic the Mahabharata this is the name of King Sagara's second wife, who bore him 60,000 children.
Sumayya f Arabic
Means "high above" in Arabic. This was the name of the first martyr for Islam.
Sumire f Japanese
From Japanese 菫 (sumire) meaning "violet (flower)". Other kanji combinations can form this name as well. It is often written using the hiragana writing system.
Summanus m Roman Mythology
Means "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.
Sunan m & f Thai
Possibly means "good word" in Thai.
Sundara m Hinduism
Derived from Sanskrit सुन्दर (sundara) meaning "beautiful". This is the name of several minor characters in Hindu texts, and is also another name of the Hindu god Krishna.
Sunday m & f English
From the name of the day of the week, which ultimately derives from Old English sunnandæg, which was composed of the elements sunne "sun" and dæg "day". This name is most common in Nigeria and other parts of Africa.
Sunder m Hindi, Tamil
Alternate transcription of Hindi सुन्दर or Tamil சுந்தர் (see Sundar).
Sung-Min m & f Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 성민 (see Seong-Min).
Sunniva f Norwegian
Scandinavian form of the Old English name Sunngifu, which meant "sun gift" from the Old English elements sunne "sun" and giefu "gift". This was the name of a legendary English saint who was shipwrecked in Norway and killed by the inhabitants.
Sunny f & m English
From the English word meaning "sunny, cheerful".
Sunshine f English
From the English word, ultimately from Old English sunne "sun" and scinan "shine".
Suoma f Finnish
Derived from Finnish Suomi meaning "Finland".
Suraj m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Nepali
Means "sun" in several northern Indian languages, derived from Sanskrit सूर्य (surya).
Suraya f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic ثريّا or ثريّة (see Thurayya).
Surayya f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic ثريّا or ثريّة (see Thurayya).
Surendra m Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Nepali
Means "lord of gods" from Sanskrit सुर (sura) meaning "god" combined with the name of the Hindu god Indra, used here to mean "lord". This is another name for Indra.
Suresha m Hinduism
Means "ruler of the gods" from Sanskrit सुर (sura) meaning "god" and ईश (isha) meaning "ruler, lord". This is another name of the Hindu gods Indra, Shiva or Vishnu.
Suri f Yiddish
Yiddish form of Sarah.
Surinder m & f Indian (Sikh)
Variant of Surendra used by Sikhs.
Suriya m Thai, Tamil
Thai form of Surya, as well as an alternate Tamil transcription.
Surya m Hinduism, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi, Marathi, Nepali, Indonesian
Means "sun" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the Hindu god of the sun.
Susanoo m Japanese Mythology
Of Japanese origin, possibly meaning "wild male, impetuous male". In Japanese mythology he was the god of storms and the sea, as well as the brother and adversary of the goddess Amaterasu. He was born when Izanagi washed his nose after returning from the underworld. After he was banished from the heavens, he descended to earth and slew an eight-headed dragon.
Suse f German
German diminutive of Susanne.
Sushil m Hindi, Marathi, Nepali
Modern masculine form of Sushila.
Sushila f & m Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Nepali
Means "good-tempered, well-disposed", derived from the Sanskrit prefix सु (su) meaning "good" combined with शील (shila) meaning "conduct, disposition". This is a transcription of both the feminine form सुशीला and the masculine form सुशील. This name is borne by wives of the Hindu gods Krishna and Yama.
Susumu m Japanese
From Japanese 進 (susumu) meaning "advance, make progress", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations having the same pronunciation.
Sutton f & m English (Modern)
From a surname, itself derived from the name of numerous English towns, of Old English origin meaning "south town".
Suzette f French
French diminutive of Susanna.
Suzu f Japanese
From Japanese 鈴 (suzu) meaning "bell" or other kanji having the same pronunciation.
Suzume f Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 雀 (suzume) meaning "sparrow", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations that are pronounced the same way.
Svajonė f Lithuanian
Means "dream" in Lithuanian.
Svana f Icelandic
Short form of Svanhildur.
Svanhild f Norwegian, Norse Mythology
From Old Norse svanr "swan" and hildr "battle", a Scandinavian cognate of Swanhild. In the Norse epic the Völsungasaga she is the daughter of Sigurd and Gudrun.
Svanhildur f Icelandic
Icelandic form of Svanhild.
Svarog m Slavic Mythology
Probably means "fire", from Old Slavic sŭvarŭ meaning "heat". This was the name of a Slavic god associated with blacksmithing.
Svea f Swedish
From a personification of the country of Sweden, in use since the 17th century. It is a derivative of Svear, the Swedish name for the North Germanic tribe the Swedes. The Swedish name of the country of Sweden is Sverige, a newer form of Svear rike meaning "the realm of the Svear".
Svein m Norwegian
Norwegian variant of Sven.
Sveinn m Icelandic, Old Norse
Old Norse and Icelandic form of Sven.
Sven m Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, German, Dutch
From the Old Norse byname Sveinn meaning "boy". This was the name of kings of Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
Svend m Danish
Danish form of Sven.
Svenja f German
German feminine form of Sven.
Sverre m Norwegian
From the Old Norse name Sverrir meaning "wild, swinging, spinning".
Sveta f Russian
Short form of Svetlana.
Světlana f Czech
Czech form of Svetlana.
Svetlana f Russian, Slovak, Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Armenian, Georgian
Derived from Russian свет (svet) meaning "light, world". It was popularized by the poem Svetlana (1813) by the poet Vasily Zhukovsky. It is sometimes used as a translation of Photine.
Svetoslav m Bulgarian
Bulgarian form of Svyatoslav.
Sveva f Italian
Possibly from the name of the Germanic tribe of the Suebi (svevo in Italian).
Sviatoslav m Russian, Ukrainian
Alternate transcription of Russian/Ukrainian Святослав (see Svyatoslav).
Svitlana f Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Svetlana.
Svjetlana f Croatian, Serbian
Croatian and Serbian form of Svetlana.
Svyatopolk m Russian (Rare)
Russian form of Svatopluk.
Svyatoslav m Russian, Ukrainian
Derived 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.
Swanhild f German (Rare)
Derived from the Old German elements swan "swan" and hilt "battle". Swanhild (or Swanachild) was the second wife of the Frankish ruler Charles Martel in the 8th century.
Swanhilda f German (Rare)
Variant of Swanhild.
Swapan m Bengali
Derived from Sanskrit स्वपन (svapana) meaning "sleeping, dreaming".
Swapna f Telugu, Marathi
Means "sleep, dream" in Sanskrit.
Swapnil m Marathi, Hindi
Derived from Sanskrit स्वप्न (svapna) meaning "sleep, dream".
Swaran m & f Punjabi
Punjabi form of Swarna.
Swati f Hindi, Marathi
From the Indian name of the fourth brightest star in the night sky, called Arcturus in the western world.
Sweeney m Irish Mythology
Anglicized form of Suibhne. In fiction, this name is borne by the murderous barber Sweeney Todd, first appearing in the British serial The String of Pearls: A Romance (1846-1847).
Świętopełk m Polish (Archaic)
Polish form of Svatopluk.
Świętosław m Polish (Archaic)
Polish form of Svyatoslav.
Swiðhun m Anglo-Saxon
Old English form of Swithin.
Swithin m History
From 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.
Swithun m History
Variant of Swithin.
Sybella f English (Rare)
Variant of Sibylla.
Sybil f English
Variant of Sibyl. This spelling variation has existed since the Middle Ages.
Sybilla f Polish, Late Roman
Polish form and Latin variant of Sibylla.
Sybille f German, French
German and French form of Sibyl.
Syed m Urdu, Punjabi, Bengali
Urdu, Punjabi and Bengali form of Sayyid.
Syeda f Urdu
Urdu form of Sayyida.
Sylvain m French
French form of Silvanus.
Sylvaine f French
French feminine form of Silvanus.
Sylvan m English
Either a variant of Silvanus or directly from the Latin word silva meaning "wood, forest".
Sylvana f Various
Variant of Silvana.
Sylvester m English, German, Danish
Medieval variant of Silvester. This is currently the usual English spelling of the name. A famous bearer is the American actor Sylvester Stallone (1946-).
Sylvi f Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish
Norwegian and Swedish variant of Solveig. It is also used as a short form of Sylvia.
Sylvia f English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish
Variant of Silvia. This has been the most common English spelling since the 19th century.
Sylviane f French
Variant of Sylvaine.
Sylwester m Polish
Polish form of Silvester.
Symon m Ukrainian (Rare)
Ukrainian form of Simon 1 (mostly ecclesiastical usage).
Symphony f English (Rare)
Simply from the English word, ultimately deriving from Greek σύμφωνος (symphonos) meaning "concordant in sound".
Synnöve f Swedish
Swedish form of Sunniva.
Synnøve f Norwegian
Norwegian variant of Sunniva.
Syntyche f Biblical, Biblical Greek, Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek name derived from συντυχία (syntychia) meaning "occurrence, event". This is the name of a woman mentioned in Paul's epistle to the Philippians in the New Testament.
Syuzanna f Russian
Russian variant of Susanna.
Szabina f Hungarian
Hungarian form of Sabina.
Szabolcs m Hungarian
Meaning unknown, possibly from a Slavic word meaning "marten". It was borne by a leader of the Magyars at the time of Árpád. This is now the name of a region in Hungary.
Szandra f Hungarian
Hungarian short form of Alexandra.
Szczepan m Polish
Polish form of Stephen.
Szczęsny m Polish (Archaic)
Means "lucky, successful, happy" in Polish, a vernacular form of Felix.
Szilveszter m Hungarian
Hungarian form of Silvester.
Szonja f Hungarian
Hungarian form of Sonya.
Taalay m Kyrgyz
Means "lucky, happy" in Kyrgyz.
Taavetti m Finnish
Finnish form of David.
Taavi m Estonian, Finnish
Estonian and Finnish form of David.