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.
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] Sindri m Norse Mythology, Old Norse, IcelandicMeans
"sparkle" in Old Norse. In Norse mythology this was the name of a dwarf, also named Eitri. With his brother
Brokkr he made several magical items for the gods, including
Odin's ring Draupnir and
Thor's hammer Mjölnir.
Siv f Swedish, Norwegian, Norse MythologyFrom Old Norse
Sif, which meant
"bride, kinswoman". In Norse mythology she was the wife of
Thor. After the trickster
Loki cut off her golden hair, an angry Thor forced him to create a replacement.
Sixten m SwedishFrom the Old Norse name
Sigsteinn, which was derived from the elements
sigr "victory" and
steinn "stone".
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.
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.
Sofia f Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Finnish, Estonian, Slovak, Romanian, English, Russian, Ukrainian, BulgarianForm of
Sophia used in various languages.
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.
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).
Sondre m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Sundri, possibly from Old Norse
sunn meaning
"south".
Sonja f German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Slovene, Serbian, Croatian, MacedonianForm of
Sonya in various languages.
Søren m DanishDanish form of
Severinus. Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) was a Danish philosopher who is regarded as a precursor of existentialism.
Ståle m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse byname
Stáli, which was derived from
stál meaning
"steel".
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.
Stellan m SwedishMeaning unknown, perhaps related to Old Norse
stilling "calm", or perhaps of German origin.
Sunniva f NorwegianScandinavian 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.
Susanna f Italian, Catalan, Swedish, Finnish, Russian, Ukrainian, Dutch, English, Armenian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Old Church SlavicFrom
Σουσάννα (Sousanna), the Greek form of the Hebrew name
שׁוֹשַׁנָּה (Shoshanna). This was derived from the Hebrew word
שׁוֹשָׁן (shoshan) meaning
"lily" (in modern Hebrew this also means
"rose"), perhaps ultimately from Egyptian
sšn "lotus". In the Old Testament Apocrypha this is the name of a woman falsely accused of adultery. The prophet
Daniel clears her name by tricking her accusers, who end up being condemned themselves. It also occurs in the New Testament belonging to a woman who ministers to
Jesus.
... [more] Svea f SwedishFrom 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".
Sverre m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Sverrir meaning
"wild, swinging, spinning".
Sylvester m English, German, DanishMedieval variant of
Silvester. This is currently the usual English spelling of the name. A famous bearer is the American actor Sylvester Stallone (1946-).