Santo m ItalianMeans
"saint" in Italian, ultimately from Latin
sanctus.
Santos m SpanishMeans
"saints" in Spanish. It is used in reference to the Christian festival
Día de Todos los Santos (All Saints' Day) celebrated on November 1.
Sargon m Akkadian (Anglicized), Biblical, Biblical HebrewFrom the Hebrew form
סַרְגּוֹן (Sargon) of the Akkadian name
Sharru-ukin, from
šarru meaning "king" and
kīnu meaning "legitimate, true". This was the name of the first king of the Akkadian Empire, beginning in the 24th century BC. It was also borne by the 8th-century BC Assyrian king Sargon II, who appears briefly in the Old Testament. The usual English spelling of the name is based on this biblical mention, applied retroactively to the earlier king.
Sarpedon m Greek MythologyMeaning unknown. In Greek legend Sarpedon was the son of
Zeus and Laodamia, and the king of the Lycians. He was one of the chief warriors who fought against the Greeks in defence of Troy, but he was killed by
Patroclus. Another Sarpedon was the son of Zeus and
Europa.
Satan m Theology, Biblical, Biblical HebrewDerived from Hebrew
שָׂטָן (saṭan) meaning
"adversary". This is the Hebrew name of the enemy of the Judeo-Christian god. In the New Testament he is also known by the title
Devil (
Diabolos in Greek).
Saturn m Roman Mythology (Anglicized)From the Latin
Saturnus, which is of unknown meaning. In Roman mythology he was the father of
Jupiter,
Juno and others, and was also the god of agriculture. This is also the name of the ringed sixth planet in the solar system.
Saturninus m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen derived from the name of the Roman god
Saturnus (see
Saturn). This was the name of several early saints.
Sauron m LiteratureMeans
"abhorred" in the fictional language Quenya. Sauron is a powerful evil being in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels, serving as the main antagonist in
The Lord of the Rings (1954). During the novels he appears as a disembodied lidless eye, though in earlier times he took on other forms.
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).
Saxon m English (Rare)From an English surname that was derived from the name of the Germanic tribe the Saxons, ultimately deriving from the Germanic word *
sahsą meaning "knife". This name can also be given in direct reference to the tribe.
Sayen f MapucheMeaning uncertain, possibly a derivative of Mapuche
ayün "love".
Schneeweißchen f LiteratureMeans
"snow white" in High German, thus a cognate of Low German
Sneewittchen (see
Snow White). This is the name of a peasant girl in the German folktale
Snow-White and Rose-Red, recorded by the Brothers Grimm in 1837. Her sister is
Rosenrot, translated into English as
Rose-Red. This story is distinct from the Grimms' earlier tale
Snow White.
Seán m IrishIrish form of
John, derived via the Old French form
Jehan.
Sean m Irish, EnglishAnglicized form of
Seán. This name name, along with variants
Shawn and
Shaun, began to be be used in the English-speaking world outside of Ireland around the middle of the 20th century.
Sebastian m German, English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Finnish, Romanian, CzechFrom the Latin name
Sebastianus, which meant
"from Sebaste". Sebaste was the name a town in Asia Minor, its name deriving from Greek
σεβαστός (sebastos) meaning "venerable" (a translation of Latin
Augustus, the title of the Roman emperors). According to Christian tradition, Saint Sebastian was a 3rd-century Roman soldier martyred during the persecutions of the emperor Diocletian. After he was discovered to be a Christian, he was tied to a stake and shot with arrows. This however did not kill him. Saint Irene of Rome healed him and he returned to personally admonish Diocletian, whereupon the emperor had him beaten to death.
... [more] Secundinus m Ancient RomanRoman family name derived from the praenomen
Secundus. Saint Secundinus, also known as Seachnall, was a 5th-century assistant to Saint
Patrick who became the first bishop of Dunshaughlin.
Secundus m Ancient RomanRoman praenomen, or given name, which meant
"second" in Latin. This name was borne by a few early saints, including a 2nd-century martyr from Asti, Italy.
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.
Sefton m English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"town in the rushes" in Old English.
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.
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.
Selin f TurkishFrom Turkish
sel meaning
"flood, torrent" (a word of Arabic origin).
Selwyn m English (Rare)From a surname that was originally derived from an Old English given name, which was formed of the elements
sele "manor" and
wine "friend".
Senán m Irish, Old IrishMeans
"little old one", derived from Old Irish
sen "old" combined with a diminutive suffix. Saint Senán was a 6th-century monk who founded the monastery on Inis Cathaigh.
Seneca m Ancient RomanFrom a Roman cognomen derived from Latin
senectus meaning
"old". This was the name of both a Roman orator (born in Spain) and also of his son, a philosopher and statesman.
... [more] Şener m TurkishFrom Turkish
şen meaning "happy" and
er meaning "man, hero, brave".
Senga f ScottishSometimes explained as an anagram of
Agnes, but more likely derived from Gaelic
seang "slender".
Sengphet f & m LaoFrom Lao
ແສງ (saeng) meaning "light" and
ເພັດ (phet) meaning "diamond, gem".
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.
Şenol m & f TurkishMeans
"be happy", from Turkish
şen "happy".
Seo-Hyeon f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
瑞 (seo) meaning "felicitous omen, auspicious" combined with
賢 (hyeon) meaning "virtuous, worthy, able". Other combinations of hanja characters can form this name as well.
Seo-Jun m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
瑞 (seo) meaning "felicitous omen, auspicious" or
舒 (seo) meaning "open up, unfold, comfortable, easy" combined with
俊 (jun) meaning "talented, handsome". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.
Seok-Jin m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
碩 (seok) meaning "large, great" and
珍 (jin) meaning "precious, rare". Other hanja characters can form this name as well.
Seon f & m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
善 (seon) meaning "good, virtuous" or
宣 (seon) meaning "declare, announce", as well as other hanja characters with the same pronunciation. It usually occurs in combination with another character, though it is sometimes used as a stand-alone name.
Seong m & f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
成 (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded", as well as other hanja characters with the same pronunciation. Although it does appear as a single-character name, it is more often used in combination with another character.
Seong-Ho m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
成 (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded" or
盛 (seong) meaning "abundant, flourishing" combined with
鎬 (ho) meaning "stove, bright" or
晧 (ho) meaning "daybreak, bright". Many other hanja character combinations are possible.
Seong-Hun m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
成 (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded" combined with
勛 (hun) meaning "meritorious deed, rank". Other hanja character combinations can form this name as well.
Seong-Hyeon m & f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
成 (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded" combined with
鉉 (hyeon), which refers to a device used to lift a tripod cauldron. Other hanja character combinations are possible.
Seong-Jin m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
成 (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded" or
星 (seong) meaning "star, planet" combined with
鎭 (jin) meaning "town, marketplace" or
震 (jin) meaning "shake, tremor, excite". Other hanja character combinations are also possible.
Seong-Min m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
成 (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded" or
性 (seong) meaning "nature, character, sex" combined with
敏 (min) meaning "quick, clever, sharp" or
旻 (min) meaning "quick, clever, sharp". Many other hanja character combinations are possible.
Seong-Su m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
成 (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded" or
聖 (seong) meaning "holy, sacred" combined with
洙 (su), which refers to a river in China. Many other hanja character combinations are possible.
Seon-U m & f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
善 (seon) meaning "good, virtuous" or
宣 (seon) meaning "declare, announce" combined with
宇 (u) meaning "house, universe" or
佑 (u) meaning "help, protect, bliss". This name can be formed by many other hanja character combinations as well.
Seo-Yeon f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
瑞 (seo) meaning "felicitous omen, auspicious" combined with
娟 (yeon) or
妍 (yeon) both meaning "beautiful". Many other combinations of hanja characters can also form this name.
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.
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] Serapion m Ancient GreekFrom the name of the Greco-Egyptian god
Serapis. Saint Serapion was a 3rd-century patriarch of Antioch. This was also the name of a 13th-century saint, a Mercedarian friar who was martyred by pirates.
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".
Serhan m TurkishDerived from Turkish
ser meaning "head, top" and
han, which is from the title
khan meaning "leader".
Serkan m TurkishMeans
"leader, chief" from Turkish
ser "head, top" and
kan "blood".
Sethunya f TswanaMeans
"bloom, flower" in Tswana, derived from
thunya "to bloom".
Setiawan m IndonesianFrom Indonesian
setia meaning
"loyal, true", ultimately from Sanskrit
सत्य (satya), combined with the masculine suffix
-wan.
Seung m & f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
昇 (seung) meaning "rise, ascend",
勝 (seung) meaning "victory" or
承 (seung) meaning "inherit", as well as other characters that are pronounced similarly.
Sevan f & m ArmenianFrom the name of the largest lake in Armenia, which may be from the Urartian word
suinia simply meaning "lake".
Seven m & f English (Modern)From the English word for the number, derived from Old English
seofon (from an Indo-European root shared by Latin
septem and Greek
ἑπτά (hepta)).
Severinus m Ancient RomanRoman family name that was derived from
Severus. Severinus was the name of many early saints, including a 6th-century Roman philosopher martyred by the Ostrogothic king Theodoric. It was also borne by a pope.
Sganyodaiyo m SenecaMeans
"handsome lake" in Seneca, from
sganyodeo "lake" and the suffix
-iyo "good". This name was borne by an 18th-century Seneca prophet.
Shaban m Arabic, AlbanianFrom the name of the eighth month of the Islamic calendar. It is derived from Arabic
شعب (shaʿaba) meaning "scatter".
Shahin m Persian, Arabic, BengaliMeans
"falcon" in Persian, referring more specifically to the Barbary falcon (species Falco pelegrinoides). The bird's name is a derivative of Persian
شاه (shāh) meaning "king".
Shahjahan m UrduMeans
"king of the world" from Persian
شاه (shāh) meaning "king" and
جهان (jahān) meaning "world". This was the name of the 17th-century Mughal emperor who built the Taj Mahal.
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.
Shams ad-Din m ArabicMeans
"sun of the religion", from Arabic
شمس (shams) meaning "sun" and
دين (dīn) meaning "religion, faith". This was the given name of the 14th-century Berber explorer Ibn Battuta.
Shane m Irish, EnglishAnglicized form of
Seán. It came into general use in America after the release of the western movie
Shane (1953).
Shani 2 m HinduismFrom the Sanskrit name of the planet Saturn, probably derived from a root meaning "slow-moving". This is the name of a Hindu god who presides over the planet Saturn. He is a son of
Surya.
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] 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).
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.
Shawnee f English (Modern)Means
"southern people" in the Algonquin language. The Shawnee were an Algonquin tribe who originally lived in the Ohio valley.
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.
Sheldon m EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"valley with steep sides" in Old English. Sheldon is the name of several locations in England.
Shelton m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"shelf town" in Old English.
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.
Sheng m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
圣 (shèng) meaning "holy, sacred",
胜 (shèng) meaning "victory", or
盛 (shèng) meaning "abundant, flourishing". Other characters are also possible.
Sheridan m & f EnglishFrom an Irish surname (Anglicized from Irish Gaelic
Ó Sirideáin), which was derived from the given name
Sirideán possibly meaning "searcher".
Sherman m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"shear man", originally denoting a person who cut cloth. Famous bearers of the surname include American politician Roger Sherman (1721-1793) and American Civil War general William Tecumseh Sherman (1820-1891).
Shin m JapaneseFrom Japanese
真 (shin) meaning "real, genuine" or other kanji with the same pronunciation.
Shingo m JapaneseFrom Japanese
真 (shin) meaning "real, genuine" or
慎 (shin) meaning "prudent, careful" combined with
吾 (go) meaning "I, me". Other combinations of kanji can form this name as well.
Shin'ichi m JapaneseFrom Japanese
真 (shin) meaning "real, genuine" or
新 (shin) meaning "fresh, new" combined with
一 (ichi) meaning "one". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Shinji m JapaneseFrom Japanese
真 (shin) meaning "real, genuine" combined with
司 (ji) meaning "officer, boss" or
二 (ji) meaning "two". Other kanji combinations are possible as well.
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.
Shin'ya m JapaneseFrom Japanese
真 (shin) meaning "real, genuine" combined with
也 (ya) meaning "also", as well as other kanji combinations having the same pronunciation.
Shion f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
紫苑 (shion) meaning "aster". It can also come from
詩 (shi) meaning "poem" and
音 (on) meaning "sound". Other kanji combinations can form this name as well.
Shirin f PersianMeans
"sweet" in Persian. This was the name of a character in Persian and Turkish legend.
Sholpan f KazakhMeans
"Venus (the planet)" in Kazakh. Sholpan and
Aiman are sisters in a 19th-century Kazakh epic poem, adapted into the play
Aiman-Sholpan (1934) by Mukhtar Auezov.
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.
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.
Shulmanu m Semitic MythologyPossibly cognate with the Western Semitic god
Shalim. Shulmanu was an Eastern Semitic (Mesopotamian) god associated with battle.
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.