Stanley m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"stone clearing" (Old English
stan "stone" and
leah "woodland, clearing"). A notable bearer of the surname was the British-American explorer and journalist Henry Morton Stanley (1841-1904), the man who found David Livingstone in Africa. As a given name, it was borne by American director Stanley Kubrick (1928-1999), as well as the character Stanley Kowalski in Tennessee Williams' play
A Streetcar Named Desire (1947).
Star f EnglishFrom the English word for the celestial body, ultimately from Old English
steorra.
Stavros m GreekMeans
"cross" in Greek, referring to the cross of the crucifixion.
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.
Stefani f English, BulgarianEnglish variant and Bulgarian form of
Stephanie. A notable bearer is Stefani Germanotta (1986-), an American singer better known as Lady Gaga.
Stefanus m DutchOfficial Dutch form of
Stephen, used on birth certificates but not commonly in daily life.
Stelara f EsperantoFrom Esperanto
stelaro meaning
"constellation", ultimately from Latin
stella "star".
Stella 1 f English, Italian, Dutch, GermanMeans
"star" in Latin. This name was created by the 16th-century poet Philip Sidney for the subject of his collection of sonnets
Astrophel and Stella. It was a nickname of a lover of Jonathan Swift, real name Esther Johnson (1681-1728), though it was not commonly used as a given name until the 19th century. It appears in Tennessee Williams' play
A Streetcar Named Desire (1947), belonging to the sister of Blanche DuBois and the wife of Stanley Kowalski.
Stellan m SwedishMeaning unknown, perhaps related to Old Norse
stilling "calm", or perhaps of German origin.
Stephen m English, BiblicalFrom the Greek name
Στέφανος (Stephanos) meaning
"crown, wreath", more precisely
"that which surrounds". Saint Stephen was a deacon who was stoned to death, as told in Acts in the New Testament. He is regarded as the first Christian martyr. Due to him, the name became common in the Christian world. It was popularized in England by the Normans.
... [more] Sterling m EnglishFrom a Scots surname that was derived from city of Stirling, which is itself of unknown meaning. The name can also be given in reference to the English word
sterling meaning "excellent". In this case, the word derives from sterling silver, which was so named because of the emblem that some Norman coins bore, from Old English meaning "little star".
Stetson m English (Modern)From an English surname that was originally derived from the name of the village of Stidston in Devon, meaning
"Stithweard's town". This is a type of wide-brimmed hat, originally made by the John B. Stetson Company.
Steven m English, DutchMedieval English variant of
Stephen, and a Dutch variant of
Stefan. The filmmaker Steven Spielberg (1946-), director of
E.T. and
Indiana Jones, is a famous bearer of this name.
Stormy f English (Modern)From the English word meaning
"stormy, wild, turbulent", ultimately from Old English
stormig.
Stribog m Slavic MythologyPossibly from Old Slavic
sterti "to extend, to spread" and
bogŭ "god". Alternatively it could come from
strybati "to flow, to move quickly". Stribog was a Slavic god who was possibly associated with the wind.
Stuart m English, ScottishFrom a Scottish occupational surname originally belonging to a person who was a steward. It is ultimately derived from Old English
stig "house" and
weard "guard". As a given name, it arose in 19th-century Scotland in honour of the Stuart royal family, which produced several kings and queens of Scotland and Britain between the 14th and 18th centuries.
Stylianos m Greek, Late GreekDerived from Greek
στῦλος (stylos) meaning
"pillar". Saint Stylianos was a 7th-century hermit from Adrianopolis in Asia Minor who is regarded as a patron saint of children.
Su 2 f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
素 (sù) meaning "plain, simple" or
肃 (sù) meaning "respectful", besides other characters pronounced in a similar way.
Su-A f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
秀 (su) meaning "luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding" combined with
雅 (a) meaning "elegant, graceful, refined" or
娥 (a) meaning "good, beautiful". Other combinations of hanja characters can also form this name.
Sua f BasqueDerived from Basque
su meaning
"fire".
Suad f & m Arabic, Bosnian, AlbanianMeans
"happiness, luck" in Arabic, from the root
سعد (saʿida) meaning "to be happy, to be lucky". In Arabic it is typically feminine, while in Bosnia and Albania it is typically masculine.
Su-Bin f & m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
秀 (su) meaning "luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding" combined with
斌 (bin) meaning "refined". Other combinations of hanja characters can form this name as well.
Suero m Medieval SpanishMedieval Spanish form of
Suarius, possibly a Latinized form of a Germanic (perhaps Suebian or Visigothic) name derived from *
swēraz meaning
"heavy, serious".
Suha f ArabicMeans
"forgotten, overlooked" in Arabic.
Al-Suha (also called
Alcor) is the name of a star in the constellation Ursa Major.
Suhail m Arabic, UrduDerived from Arabic
سهل (sahl) meaning
"level, even, smooth". This is the Arabic name of the second brightest star in the sky, known in the western world as Canopus. It is also the official (IAU) name of the third brightest star in the constellation Vela.
Suharto m JavaneseFrom Sanskrit
सु (su) meaning "good" and
अर्थ (artha) meaning "wealth, property" (borrowed into Indonesian as
harta). This was the name of an Indonesian general (1921-2008) who seized power to become the country's second president.
Su-Hyeon f & m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
秀 (su) meaning "luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding" and
賢 (hyeon) meaning "virtuous, worthy, able". Other combinations of hanja characters can also form this name.
Suibhne m Irish MythologyFrom Old Irish
Suibne, possibly derived from
subae meaning
"joy, pleasure". This was the name of several figures from early Irish history, including a 7th-century high king and an 8th-century saint. It also appears in the Irish legend
Buile Suibhne (meaning "The Madness of Suibhne") about a king who goes insane after being cursed by Saint Rónán Finn.
Suijin m Japanese MythologyFrom Japanese
水 (sui) meaning "water" and
神 (jin) meaning "god, spirit". This is the name of the god (or gods) of water, lakes and pools in Japanese mythology.
Sujata f Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Odia, BuddhismMeans
"well-born", derived from the Sanskrit prefix
सु (su) meaning "good" and
जात (jāta) meaning "born, grown". According to Buddhist lore this was the name of the woman who gave Siddhartha Gautama (the
Buddha) a bowl of pudding, ending his period of severe asceticism.
Sujay m Bengali, MarathiMeans
"great victory", derived from the Sanskrit prefix
सु (su) meaning "good" combined with
जय (jaya) meaning "victory".
Su-Jin f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
收 (su) meaning "gather, harvest" or
壽 (su) meaning "long life, lifespan" combined with
眞 (jin) meaning "real, genuine" or
珍 (jin) meaning "precious, rare". Other combinations of hanja characters can form this name as well.
Sukarno m JavaneseFrom the Sanskrit prefix
सु (su) meaning "good" combined with the name of the mythological hero
Karna. Sukarno (1901-1970), who did not have a surname, was the first president of Indonesia.
Sukhon f ThaiMeans
"fragrance, pleasant smell" in Thai, ultimately of Pali origin.
Suk-Ja f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
淑 (suk) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming" and
子 (ja) meaning "child". Other hanja characters can form this name as well. Korean feminine names ending with the character
子 (a fashionable name suffix in Japan, read as
-ko in Japanese) declined in popularity after 1945 when Korea was liberated from Japanese rule.
Sulastri f Javanese, IndonesianPossibly from Javanese
solatri, the name of a flowering plant (species Calophyllum soulattri). This is the name of a wife of
Arjuna in the Javanese version of the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata.
Süleyman m Turkish, AzerbaijaniTurkish form of
Solomon. Süleyman the Magnificent was a sultan of the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century. He expanded Ottoman territory into Europe and Persia, reformed the government, and completed several great building projects.
Sullivan m English, FrenchFrom an Irish surname, the Anglicized form of
Ó Súileabháin, itself from the given name
Súileabhán, which was derived from Irish
súil "eye" and
dubh "dark, black" combined with a diminutive suffix. This name has achieved a moderate level of popularity in France since the 1970s. In the United States it was rare before the 1990s, after which it began climbing steadily. A famous fictional bearer of the surname was James P. Sullivan from the animated movie
Monsters, Inc. (2001).
Sultan m & f Arabic, Turkish, Azerbaijani, Urdu, Bengali, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Avar, IndonesianMeans
"ruler, king, sultan" in Arabic. In the Arab world this name is typically masculine, but Turkey it is given to both boys and girls.
Sumantra m BengaliMeans
"following good advice", from the Sanskrit prefix
सु (su) meaning "good" combined with
मन्त्र (mantra) meaning "instrument of thought, prayer, advice".
Sumati f Hinduism, HindiMeans
"wise, good mind", derived from Sanskrit
सु (su) meaning "good" and
मति (mati) meaning "mind, thought". According to Hindu tradition this was the name of King Sagara's second wife, who bore him 60,000 children.
Sumayya f ArabicMeans
"high, elevated, lofty" in Arabic, derived from
سما (samā) meaning "to be high". This was the name of the first martyr for Islam.
Sumiko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
澄 (sumi) meaning "clear" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Sumire f JapaneseFrom Japanese
菫 (sumire) meaning "violet (flower)". Other kanji combinations can form this name as well. It is often written using the hiragana writing system.
Summanus m Roman MythologyMeans
"before the morning", derived from Latin
sub "under, before" and
mane "morning". Summanus was the Roman god of the night sky and night lightning, a nocturnal counterpart to
Jupiter.
Summer f EnglishFrom the name of the season, ultimately from Old English
sumor. It has been in use as a given name since the 1970s.
Suna f TurkishFrom the Turkish word for a type of duck, the shelduck (genus Tadorna).
Sunan m & f ThaiPossibly means
"good word" in Thai.
Sunčana f CroatianFrom Croatian
sunčan meaning
"sunny", a derivative of
sunce meaning "sun".
Sundara m HinduismDerived from Sanskrit
सुन्दर (sundara) meaning
"beautiful". This is the name of several minor characters in Hindu texts, and is also another name of the Hindu god
Kama.
Sunday m & f EnglishFrom the name of the day of the week, which ultimately derives from Old English
sunnandæg, which was composed of the elements
sunne "sun" and
dæg "day". This name is most common in Nigeria and other parts of Africa.
Sunil m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, Gujarati, Punjabi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, NepaliFrom Sanskrit
सु (su) meaning "good, very" combined with
नील (nīla) meaning "dark blue".
Sunita f Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, NepaliMeans
"well conducted, wise", derived from the Sanskrit prefix
सु (su) meaning "good" combined with
नीत (nīta) meaning "conducted, led". In Hindu legend this is the name of the wife of King Anga of Bengal and the mother of
Vena.
Suniti f HindiMeans
"good conduct" from the Sanskrit prefix
सु (su) meaning "good" combined with
नीति (nīti) meaning "guidance, moral conduct".
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.
Sunny f & m EnglishFrom the English word meaning
"sunny, cheerful".
Sunshine f EnglishFrom the English word, ultimately from Old English
sunne "sun" and
scinan "shine".
Suoma f FinnishDerived from Finnish
Suomi meaning
"Finland".
Suren m Parthian, ArmenianDerived from Avestan
𐬯𐬏𐬭𐬀 (sūra) meaning
"strong, powerful". This was the name of a Parthian noble family. A notable member was the military commander known as Suren or Surena, who defeated the Romans at the Battle of Carrhae in the 1st century BC.
Susan f EnglishEnglish variant of
Susanna. This has been most common spelling since the 18th century. It was especially popular both in the United States and the United Kingdom from the 1940s to the 1960s. A notable bearer was the American feminist Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906).
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] Susanoo m Japanese MythologyOf Japanese origin, possibly meaning
"wild male, impetuous male". In Japanese mythology he was the god of storms and the sea, as well as the brother and adversary of the goddess
Amaterasu. He was born when
Izanagi washed his nose after returning from the underworld. After he was banished from the heavens, he descended to earth and slew an eight-headed dragon.
Sushila f & m Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, NepaliMeans
"good-tempered, well-disposed", derived from the Sanskrit prefix
सु (su) meaning "good" combined with
शील (śīla) meaning "conduct, disposition". This is a transcription of both the feminine form
सुशीला (long final vowel, borne by a consort of the Hindu god
Yama) and the masculine form
सुशील (short final vowel).
Susumu m JapaneseFrom Japanese
進 (susumu) meaning "advance, make progress", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations having the same pronunciation.
Sutton f & m English (Modern)From a surname, itself derived from the name of numerous English towns, of Old English origin meaning
"south town".
Su'ud m ArabicMeans
"fortune, good luck" in Arabic, a plural form of
Sa'd. This name is traditionally transcribed as
Saud. It was the name of the ancestor of the Saud dynasty, the ruling family of Saudi Arabia.
Suzu f JapaneseFrom Japanese
鈴 (suzu) meaning "bell" or other kanji having the same pronunciation.
Suzume f Japanese (Rare)From Japanese
雀 (suzume) meaning "sparrow", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations that are pronounced the same way.
Svantepolk m Old SwedishOld Swedish form of
Svatopluk. It was borne by the prominent 13th-century Swedish nobleman Svantepolk Knutsson. He may have been named after a relative of his Pomeranian mother.
Svarog m Slavic MythologyProbably means
"fire", from Old Slavic
sŭvarŭ meaning "heat". This was the name of a Slavic god associated with blacksmithing.
Svatava f CzechDerived from Czech
svatý meaning
"sacred, holy", ultimately from Old Slavic *
svętŭ.
Svatopluk m CzechMeans
"sacred people", derived from the Slavic elements
svętŭ "sacred, holy" and
pŭlkŭ "people, host, army". Svatopluk the Great was a 9th-century ruler of Great Moravia, a region centered around the modern Czech Republic and Slovakia.
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".
Svetlana f Russian, Slovak, Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Armenian, GeorgianDerived from Russian
свет (svet) meaning
"light, world". It was popularized by the poem
Svetlana (1813) by the poet Vasily Zhukovsky. It is sometimes used as a translation of
Photine.
Svetovit m Slavic MythologyDerived from Slavic
svętŭ "sacred, holy" and
vitŭ "master, lord". This was the name of a four-headed West Slavic god of war and light. He has historically been conflated with Saint
Vitus, who is known as
Święty Wit in Polish and
Svatý Vít in Czech.
Sveva f ItalianPossibly from the name of the Germanic tribe of the Suebi (
svevo in Italian).
Svyatoslav m Russian, UkrainianDerived from the Slavic elements
svętŭ "sacred, holy" and
slava "glory". This was the name of a 10th-century ruler of Kievan Rus, the son of
Igor and
Olga, and the first to have a name of Slavic origin instead of Old Norse.
Swanhild f German (Rare)Derived from the Old German elements
swan "swan" and
hilt "battle". Swanhild (or Swanachild) was the second wife of the Frankish ruler Charles Martel in the 8th century.
Swarna m & f Telugu, HindiMeans
"good colour" or
"golden", a contraction of the Sanskrit prefix
सु (su) meaning "good" and
वर्ण (varṇa) meaning "colour". This is a transcription of both the masculine form
स्वर्ण and the feminine form
स्वर्णा (spelled with a long final vowel).
Swati f Hindi, MarathiFrom the Indian name of the fourth brightest star in the night sky, called
Arcturus in the western world.
Sweeney m Irish MythologyAnglicized form of
Suibhne. In fiction, this name is borne by the murderous barber Sweeney Todd, first appearing in the British serial
The String of Pearls: A Romance (1846-1847).
Swithin m HistoryFrom the Old English name
Swiðhun or
Swiþhun, derived from
swiþ "strong" and perhaps
hun "bear cub". Saint Swithin was a 9th-century bishop of Winchester.
Sybil f EnglishVariant of
Sibyl. This spelling variation has existed since the Middle Ages.
Sycorax f LiteratureCreated by Shakespeare for a witch character in his play
The Tempest (1611). The character has died by the time the play begins, so she is only spoken of and not seen. The name's meaning is unknown, though it might have been inspired by Latin
corax or Greek
κόραξ (korax) meaning
"raven", referring to the 5th-century BC Greek rhetorician Corax of Syracuse. One of the moons of Uranus bears this name in the character's honour.
Sydney f & m EnglishFrom a surname that was a variant of the surname
Sidney. This is the name of the largest city in Australia, which was named for Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney in 1788. Formerly used by both genders, since the 1980s this spelling of the name has been mostly feminine.
Sylvan m EnglishEither a variant of
Silvanus or directly from the Latin word
silva meaning
"wood, forest".
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-).