Sacripante m Carolingian CycleMeaning uncertain, possibly related to Italian
sacrare "to consecrate". This is the name of a Saracen warrior king in the epic
Orlando poems (1495 and 1532) by Boiardo and Ariosto.
Salacia f Roman MythologyDerived from Latin
sal meaning
"salt". This was the name of the Roman goddess of salt water.
Salvacion f Spanish (Philippines)Filipino form of Spanish
salvación meaning
"salvation". It refers to a title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora de Salvación, meaning "Our Lady of Salvation". This is the name of a statue of Mary in Joroan, the Philippines, that is associated with several miracles.
Salvador m Spanish, Portuguese, CatalanSpanish, Portuguese and Catalan form of the Late Latin name
Salvator, which meant
"saviour", referring to
Jesus. A famous bearer of this name was the Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dalí (1904-1989).
Salvius m Ancient RomanRoman family name derived from Latin
salvus meaning
"safe". This was the family name of the short-lived Roman emperor Otho. It was also borne by several early saints.
Samara f English (Modern), Portuguese (Brazilian)Possibly derived from the name of the city of Samarra (in Iraq) or Samara (in Russia). The former appears in the title of the novel
Appointment in Samarra (1934) by John O'Hara, which refers to an ancient Babylonian legend about a man trying to evade death. Alternatively, this name could be derived from the word for the winged seeds that grow on trees such as maples and elms.
... [more] Samwise m LiteratureMeans
"simple, half wise" from Old English
sam "half" and
wis "wise". This is the name of a hobbit in J. R. R. Tolkien's novel
The Lord of the Rings (1954). Samwise Gamgee, often called Sam, is the faithful companion of Frodo on his quest to destroy the One Ring.
Samwise is an English-like translation of his true hobbit name
Banazîr.
Sancho m Spanish, PortuguesePossibly a Spanish and Portuguese form of the Late Latin name
Sanctius, which was derived from the word
sanctus meaning
"saintly, holy". Alternatively,
Sancho and
Sanctius may be derived from an older Iberian name. This was the name of a 9th-century saint who was martyred by the Moors at Córdoba. It was also borne by several Spanish and Portuguese kings. Miguel de Cervantes used it in his novel
Don Quixote (1605), where it belongs to the squire of Don Quixote.
Sansa f LiteratureInvented by the author George R. R. Martin for the character of Sansa Stark in his series
A Song of Ice and Fire, published beginning 1996, and the television adaptation
Game of Thrones (2011-2019).
Santana f & m Spanish (Latin American), Portuguese (Brazilian), English (Modern)From a contraction of
Santa Ana (referring to Saint
Anna) or from a Spanish and Portuguese surname derived from any of the numerous places named for the saint. It can be given in honour of the Mexican-American musician Carlos Santana (1947-), the founder of the band Santana. The name received a boost in popularity for American girls after the character Santana Andrade began appearing on the soap opera
Santa Barbara in 1984.
Santiago m Spanish, PortugueseMeans
"Saint James", derived from Spanish
santo "saint" combined with
Yago, an old Spanish form of
James, the patron saint of Spain. It is the name of the main character in the novella
The Old Man and the Sea (1951) by Ernest Hemingway. This also is the name of the capital city of Chile, as well as several other cities in the Spanish-speaking world.
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.
Saskia f Dutch, GermanFrom the Old German element
sahso meaning
"a Saxon". The Saxons were a Germanic tribe, their name ultimately deriving from the Germanic word *
sahsą meaning "knife". Saskia van Uylenburgh (1612-1642) was the wife of the Dutch painter Rembrandt.
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.
Saveliy m RussianRussian form of the Latin name
Sabellius meaning
"a Sabine". The Sabines were an ancient people who lived in central Italy.
Scevola m Italian (Rare)Italian form of the Roman cognomen
Scaevola, which was derived from Latin
scaevus "left-handed". The first bearer of this name was Gaius Mucius Scaevola, who acquired it, according to legend, after he thrust his right hand into a blazing fire in order to intimidate the Etruscan king Porsenna, who was blockading the city of Rome.
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.
Scholastica f Late RomanFrom a Late Latin name that was derived from
scholasticus meaning
"rhetorician, orator". Saint Scholastica was a 6th-century Benedictine abbess, the sister of Saint Benedict of Nursia.
Schuyler m & f EnglishFrom a Dutch surname meaning
"scholar". Dutch settlers brought the surname to America, where it was subsequently adopted as a given name in honour of the American general and senator Philip Schuyler (1733-1804).
Scipio m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen derived from Latin
scipio meaning
"staff, walking stick". A famous bearer was the 3rd-century Roman general Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, usually called only Scipio Africanus, notable for his victories during the Second Punic War.
Scott m English, ScottishFrom an English and Scottish surname that referred to a person from Scotland or a person who spoke Scottish Gaelic. It is derived from Latin
Scoti meaning "Gael, Gaelic speaker", with the ultimate origin uncertain.
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.
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.
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] Septimius m Ancient RomanRoman family name that was derived from
Septimus. Septimius Severus was an early 3rd-century Roman emperor. This was also the name of a 4th-century saint and martyr.
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] 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-).
Sergius m Ancient RomanRoman family name, possibly meaning
"servant" in Latin but most likely of unknown Etruscan origin. Saint Sergius was a 4th-century Roman officer who was martyred in Syria with his companion Bacchus. They are the patron saints of Christian desert nomads. Another saint by this name (in the Russian form
Sergey) was a 14th-century Russian spiritual leader. The name was also borne by four popes.
Servaas m Dutch (Rare)Dutch form of the Late Latin name
Servatius, derived from
servatus "saved, redeemed". This was the name of a 4th-century saint who helped spread Christianity to the Low Countries.
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.
Severus m Ancient RomanRoman family name meaning
"stern" in Latin. This name was borne by several early saints including a 6th-century patriarch of Antioch.
Sextus m Ancient RomanRoman praenomen, or given name, meaning
"sixth" in Latin. It was traditionally given to the sixth child.
Seymour m EnglishFrom a Norman surname that originally belonged to a person coming from the French town of Saint Maur (which means "Saint
Maurus").
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.
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.
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).
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).
Siet m Frisian (Archaic)Meaning uncertain, perhaps originally a short form of names beginning with the Old German element
sigu meaning
"victory".
Sigismund m German (Rare), GermanicForm of
Sigmund in which the first element is
sigis, an extended form of
sigu. Saint Sigismund was a 6th-century king of the Burgundians. This was also the name of kings of Poland and a ruler of the Holy Roman Empire.
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.
Sikke m FrisianOriginally a short form of names beginning with the Old German element
sigu meaning
"victory".
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.
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).
Sjra m LimburgishLimburgish form of
Gerard. Its spelling has been influenced by the French pronunciation of Gérard.