Sharia m Arabic (Rare)Means
"divine law, noble law" in Arabic, from the root
شرع (sharaʿa) meaning "to go, to enact".
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] Shashi m & f Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Kannada, TeluguTraditional name for the moon, it literally means "having a hare" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the masculine form
शशि and the feminine form
शशी (spelled with a long final vowel).
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).
Shaw m English (Rare)From a surname. As an English surname it is derived from Old English
sceaga meaning
"thicket". As a Scottish surname it is derived from the Gaelic byname
Sitheach meaning
"wolf".
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.
Shazia f UrduMeaning unknown, possibly of Arabic origin meaning
"rare, unusual".
Shealtiel m BiblicalMeans
"I have asked of God" in Hebrew, from the roots
שָׁאַל (shaʾal) meaning "to ask" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". According to the Old Testament this was the name of the father of Zerubbabel. It was also borne by a son of King
Jeconiah of Judah (he is called
Salathiel in some translations).
Sheard m English (Rare)From a surname that was originally from a place name meaning
"gap between hills" in Old English.
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-).
Sheerah f BiblicalMeans
"kinswoman" in Hebrew. This is the name of a daughter of
Ephraim in the Old Testament.
Shehu m HausaFrom Arabic
شيخ (shaykh) meaning
"elder, chief, sheikh", a title of Usman dan Fodio (1754-1817), the founder of the Sokoto Caliphate.
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.
Shela m Biblical HebrewMeans
"petition, request" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of
Judah. In English Bibles it is usually written as
Shelah.
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.
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.
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.
Shelomith f & m BiblicalMeans
"peaceful" in Hebrew, from
שָׁלוֹם (shalom) meaning "peace". This is the name of several characters in the Old Testament, both female and male.
Shelton m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"shelf town" in Old English.
Shemer m Biblical, Biblical HebrewPossibly means
"preserved" in Hebrew, derived from
שָׁמַר (shamar) meaning "to guard, to watch". In the Old Testament this is the name of the owner of the hill upon which Samaria was built.
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.
Shepherd m EnglishFrom an English occupational surname meaning
"sheep herder, shepherd".
Sher m Urdu, PashtoMeans
"lion" in Persian. A famous bearer of this name was Sher Shah, a 16th-century Mughal ruler.
Sherali m Uzbek, TajikFrom Uzbek and Tajik
sher meaning "lion" (of Persian origin) combined with the name
Ali 1.
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.
Sheridan m & f EnglishFrom an Irish surname (Anglicized from Irish Gaelic
Ó Sirideáin), which was derived from the given name
Sirideán possibly meaning "searcher".
Sherlock m LiteratureUsed by Scottish author Arthur Conan Doyle for his character Sherlock Holmes, who was a detective in Doyle's mystery stories beginning in 1887. The character's name was from an English surname meaning "shear lock", originally referring to a person with closely cut hair.
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).
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] Sherwood m EnglishFrom an English place name (or from a surname that was derived from it) meaning
"bright forest". This was the name of the forest in which the legendary outlaw Robin Hood made his home.
Shi m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
时 (shí) meaning "time, era, season",
实 (shí) meaning "real, honest",
史 (shǐ) meaning "history" or
石 (shí) meaning "stone". Other characters can form this name as well.
Shichirō m JapaneseFrom Japanese
七 (shichi) meaning "seven" and
郎 (rō) meaning "son". This was traditionally a name given to the seventh son. Other kanji combinations can be possible.
Shigeko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
繁 (shige) meaning "flourishing, luxuriant" or
成 (shige) meaning "become" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Shigeo m JapaneseFrom Japanese
茂 (shige) meaning "lush, luxuriant" or
重 (shige) meaning "layers, folds" combined with
雄 (o) meaning "hero, manly" or
男 (o) meaning "male, man". Many other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Shigeru m JapaneseFrom Japanese
茂 (shigeru) meaning "lush, luxuriant", as well as other kanji having the same reading. A famous bearer is the Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto (1952-).
Shiloh m & f BiblicalFrom an Old Testament place name possibly meaning
"tranquil" in Hebrew. It is also used prophetically in the Old Testament to refer to a person, often understood to be the Messiah (see
Genesis 49:10). This may in fact be a mistranslation.
... [more] Shimeath f BiblicalFrom Hebrew
שֵׁמַע (shemaʿ) meaning
"report, news, fame". In the Old Testament Shimeath is the mother of one of the assassins of King
Joash of Judah.
Shimei m BiblicalFrom Hebrew
שָׁמַע (shamaʿ) meaning
"to hear, to listen". This is the name of many characters in the Old Testament.
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.
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.
Shirō m JapaneseFrom Japanese
四 (shi) meaning "four" and
郎 (rō) meaning "son". This was traditionally a name for the fourth son. Other kanji combinations are possible.
Shiva 1 m Hinduism, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, NepaliDerived from Sanskrit
शिव (śiva) meaning
"benign, kind, auspicious". Shiva is the Hindu god of destruction and restoration, the husband of the mother goddess
Parvati. Though he does not appear in the Vedas, Shiva nevertheless incorporates elements of Vedic deities such as the storm god
Rudra. He is often depicted with four arms and a third eye, and has both fierce and gentle aspects.
... [more] Shizuka f JapaneseFrom Japanese
静 (shizu) meaning "quiet" combined with
夏 (ka) meaning "summer" or
香 (ka) meaning "fragrance". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Shizuko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
静 (shizu) meaning "quiet" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Sho m JapaneseAlternate transcription of Japanese Kanji
翔 or
奨 or
祥 (see
Shō).
Shō m JapaneseFrom Japanese
翔 (shō) meaning "soar, glide" or
奨 (shō) meaning "prize, reward" or
祥 (shō) meaning "good luck, good omen". Other kanji with identical pronunciations can also form this name.
Shōhei m JapaneseFrom Japanese
翔 (shō) meaning "soar, glide" and
平 (hei) meaning "level, even, peaceful", in addition to other combinations of kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Shōji m JapaneseFrom Japanese
昌 (shō) meaning "flourish, prosper, good" or
昭 (shō) meaning "bright, luminous" combined with
二 (ji) meaning "two". Other combinations of kanji with the same pronunciation can also form this name.
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.
Sholto m ScottishProbably an Anglicized form of Gaelic
sìoltaich meaning
"sower, propagator". It has occasionally been used in the Douglas family since the 17th century, after David Hume of Godscroft claimed it was the name of the 7th-century founder of the clan.
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.
Shōta m JapaneseFrom Japanese
翔 (shō) meaning "soar, glide" and
太 (ta) meaning "thick, big, great". Other combinations of kanji are also possible.
Shou m JapaneseAlternate transcription of Japanese Kanji
翔 or
奨 or
祥 (see
Shō).
Shpëtim m AlbanianFrom Albanian
shpëtim meaning
"rescue, relief, salvation".
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".
Shrek m Popular CultureDerived from German
Schreck or Yiddish
שרעק (rek) meaning
"fright". This is the name of a large green ogre in the animated movie
Shrek (2001) and its sequels.
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.
Shripati m HinduismMeans
"husband of Shri" from the name of the Hindu goddess
Shri combined with Sanskrit
पति (pati) meaning "husband, lord". This is another name of the Hindu god
Vishnu.
Shu f ChineseFrom Chinese
淑 (shū) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming", besides other characters that are pronounced similarly.
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.
Shui m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
水 (shuǐ) meaning "water", as well as other characters pronounced in a similar way.
Shukra m HinduismFrom Sanskrit
शुक्र (śukra) meaning
"clear, bright". This is the name of a Hindu god who presides over the planet Venus.
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.
Shylock m LiteratureUsed by Shakespeare, possibly from the Hebrew name
Shelach, for the primary antagonist in his play
The Merchant of Venice (1596). Shylock is a Jewish moneylender who demands a pound of Antonio's flesh when he cannot repay his loan. Subsequent to the play, the name has been used as an ethnic slur for a Jewish person and a slang term for a loan shark.
Siavash m Persian, Persian MythologyPersian form of Avestan
𐬯𐬌𐬌𐬁𐬎𐬎𐬀𐬭𐬱𐬀𐬥 (Siiāuuarshan) meaning
"possessing black stallions". This was the name of a virtuous prince in Iranian mythology. He appears briefly in the
Avesta, with a longer account recorded in the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh.
Sibel f TurkishPossibly a Turkish form of
Cybele. It was borne by the main character in Refik Halit Karay's novel
İkibin Yılın Sevgilisi (1954).
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).
Siddhi f MarathiMeans
"accomplishment, success, attainment" in Sanskrit, referring to spiritual or psychic powers attained through meditation or yoga.
Sidney m & f EnglishFrom the English surname
Sidney. It was first used as a given name in honour of executed politician Algernon Sidney (1622-1683). Another notable bearer of the surname was the poet and statesman Philip Sidney (1554-1586).
... [more] 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.
Sidonius m Late RomanLatin name meaning
"of Sidon". Sidon was an ancient Phoenician city corresponding to modern-day Saida in Lebanon. This name was borne by the 5th-century saint Sidonius Apollinaris, a 5th-century bishop of Clermont.
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.
Siegbert m GermanDerived from the Old German elements
sigu "victory" and
beraht "bright". This was the name of several Frankish kings, including the 7th-century Sigebert III of Austrasia who is regarded as a saint.
Siegfried m German, Germanic MythologyDerived from the Old German elements
sigu "victory" and
fridu "peace". Siegfried was a hero from German legend, the chief character in the
Nibelungenlied. He secretly helped the Burgundian king
Gunther overcome the challenges set out by the Icelandic queen
Brunhild so that Gunther might win her hand. In exchange, Gunther consented to the marriage of Siegfried and his sister
Kriemhild. Years later, after a dispute between Brunhild and Kriemhild, Siegfried was murdered by
Hagen with Gunther's consent. He was stabbed in his one vulnerable spot on the small of his back, which had been covered by a leaf while he bathed in dragon's blood. He is a parallel to the Norse hero
Sigurd. The story was later adapted by Richard Wagner to form part of his opera
The Ring of the Nibelung (1876).
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.
Siet m Frisian (Archaic)Meaning uncertain, perhaps originally a short form of names beginning with the Old German element
sigu meaning
"victory".