Silver m & f English (Rare)From the English word for the precious metal or the colour, ultimately derived from Old English
seolfor.
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.
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.
Silvinus m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen that was a variant of
Silvanus. This name was borne by an 8th-century saint who evangelized in northern France.
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.
Simeon m Biblical, Bulgarian, SerbianFrom
Συμεών (Symeon), the Old Testament Greek form of the Hebrew name
Shimʿon (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] Simón m SpanishSpanish form of
Simon 1. This name was borne by the South American revolutionary Simón Bolívar (1783-1830).
Simon 1 m English, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Dutch, Hungarian, Slovene, Romanian, Macedonian, Georgian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekFrom
Σίμων (Simon), the New Testament Greek form of the Hebrew name
שִׁמְעוֹן (Shimʿon) meaning
"hearing, listening", derived from
שָׁמַע (shamaʿ) meaning "to hear, to listen". This name is spelled
Simeon, based on Greek
Συμεών, in many translations of the Old Testament, where it is borne by the second son of
Jacob. The New Testament spelling may show influence from the otherwise unrelated Greek name
Simon 2.
... [more] Simon 2 m Ancient Greek, Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
σιμός (simos) meaning
"flat-nosed". According to Greek mythology this was the name of one of the Telchines, demigods who were the original inhabitants of Rhodes.
Simoni m GeorgianForm of
Simon 1 with the Georgian nominative suffix, used when the name is written stand-alone.
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.
Sinclair m & f English (Rare)From a Scottish surname that was derived from a Norman French town called "Saint
Clair". A notable bearer was the American author Sinclair Lewis (1885-1951).
Síofra f IrishMeans
"elf, sprite" in Irish. This name was created in the 20th century.
Sionann f Irish MythologyIn Irish legend this was the name of a granddaughter of the sea god
Lir who went to Connla's Well, which was forbidden. The well burst and drowned her, leaving her body in the river thereafter known as the
Sionainn (see
Shannon).
Siriporn f ThaiDerived from Thai
ศิริ (sir) meaning "glory, splendour" and
พร (phon) meaning "blessing".
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.
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 Ancient 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.
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 (āb) 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 French, PortugueseFrench 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.
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 2 m & f Hinduism, Bengali, HindiFrom Sanskrit
सोम (soma), the name of a ritual drink appearing in the Vedas. It is probably derived from an Indo-Iranian root meaning "to press out, to extract". As a Vedic god, Soma is a personification of this drink. He is sometimes equated with the moon god
Chandra.
... [more] 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".
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".
Soner m TurkishFrom Turkish
son meaning "last, final" and
er meaning "man, hero, brave".
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.
Sotirios m GreekDerived from Greek
σωτήρ (sotir) meaning
"saviour, deliverer", referring to
Jesus, or
σωτηρία (sotiria) meaning
"salvation, deliverance".
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.
Ståle m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse byname
Stáli, which was derived from
stál meaning
"steel".