English Names that Start With S

A beachy name, with a strong, certain sound. Perfect for a summer baby or for those who love a rugged shoreline. It's yer to rank in the US stats.

Shore

A beachy name, similar in feel to Coast, Tide, Bay, and Cove. It has yet to rank in the US stats.

Stockard Channing -- "West Wing" 's first lady -- picked this strong, Waspy first name over her original, Susan. 

Stockard

A daring word name with a touch of mystique, Shadow is an edgy choice for a baby that some may say is best reserved for pets. Nevertheless, it has been appearing in the US stats for girls since 1974 and for boys since 1987.
 
It was at its peak in 1993, when 22 girls and 36 boys recieved the name, (possibly thanks to the release of the Honda Dodge Shadow range or the apperance of Shadow, the golden retriever in Disney's 1993 Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey). In a more recent year, it was chosen for 6 girls and 14 boys in the US.
 
Borne by characters in the show and book American Gods and in the game franchise Sonic the Hedgehog, it has similar vibes to Raven, Moon, and Jinx, and similar sounds to Shiloh, Marlow, Shay, and Shannon.

Shadow

Selby, a rarely heard British surname, feels sleeker and more distinctive than Shelby. Todd Selby, known primarily by his last name, is a hip photographer of interiors.

Selby

Chosen by Woody Allen for his son with Mia Farrow (now renamed Seamus), honoring the great old-time baseball player Satchel Paige, and by Spike Lee for his daughter, but far too eccentric for ordinary use. 

Satchel

Sage, Rosemary, Saffron, Ginger, and Cassia are used as names, so how about Samphire? This unusual name is given to a plant from the parsley family that grow on seaside cliffs but it's also used to refer to other coastal plants that resemble it. Similar in sound to Sapphire, Saphira, Samantha, and Samara, this undiscovered name could make a bold choice with familiar sounds and grounded nickname options, Sam, Sammy, and Saffie.
 
Derived from the French herbe de Saint Pierre, it was corrupted in English to sampiere and then to samphire. As such, the name means "St Peter's herb", in honor of the patron saint of fisherman. 
 
Appearing in Shakespeare's King Lear and in a number of food recipes, Samphire can be pronounced as SAM-fie-uh or as SAM-fuh, depending on region. A one of a kind choice, this nature, herb, food and sea-related name has yet to appear in the US stats.

Samphire

A nature name, a word name, and an sea-inspired option, this as yet undiscovered name might just fit in with the likes of Samuel, Saint, and Sage. Used to describe a plant that grows near the sea, Samphire is grounded by popular nicknames Sam and Sammy, though Ira, Sai, or Saffy might appeal to those who prefer something more unusual.
 
The edible plant takes its name from the French herbe de Saint Pierre, which was corrupted in English to sampiere and then to samphire in the 16th century. It was named for St. Peter, the patron saint of fisherman, making this a very offbeat choice to honor a Peter (or a fisher). 
 
Samphire can be pronounced with three syllables, SAM-fie-uh, or with two, SAM-fuh, depending on regional differences, and it has yet to appear in any name data.

Possibility for fish enthusiasts, but works better for a boy. 

Salmon

Combining the sounds of Sage, Sadie, and Jade, and gender neutral vibes of Quinn and Blake, Swade might be one to watch out for in coming years. It can be viewed in two ways: a respelling of word name Suede or as a last-name-as-a-fist name.
 
As a respelling of Suede, it is related to a soft leather material used for shoes, making it a word name and a place name, as Suède translates to Sweden in French. As a surname, it comes from the Old English swathu, meaning "swath, track, area" or "strip of grassland".
 
In a recent year, 22 boys were given the name Swade in the US, while Suede was chosen for 80 boys and 32 girls, suggesting this alternative or sound-alike spelling may attract more attention in the future. In fact, influencer Kaitlyn Bruza used the name for her daughter, Swade Elena, towards the end of 2024 which may encourage others to use it.

Swade

An unusual, bird inspired name, Swanna may be considered a feminine form of the French Swann — a well-used name for boys in France — or a compound name, mixing Swan with Anna, and lending it the meaning "graceful swan". It appears in the title of the novel, Swanna in Love by Jennifer Belle, which was likely inspired by the 1984 French movie Swann In Love or Un amour de Swann which led to the popularity of Swann itself.
 
While it has yet to appear in the US stats, it may appeal to those who want a one-of-a-kind alternative to Wrenna, Wrenley, and Wren.

Swanna

Sphere is included in the lexicon of names thanks to notably-named jazz pianist Thelonious Monk, whose middle name was Sphere after his father. A sphere is a round three-dimensional object, like a ball or a globe, and is sometimes used as a poetic word for Earth or another planet.

Sphere

A wild word name with connotations of strength, safety, and protection, Secure manages to fit with gentler word options like Truce, Peace, and Haven, while equally matching the likes of Valor, Noble, and Stone. Influencers Rissa and Quan chose this bold word name for their son in 2025, who joined brothers Shine and Saviour. Secure has yet to make the US stats, but it feels like a name that could, given currently trends. 

Secure

Used predominantly as a pet name, Squirt is a term of endearment for a small child and a popular name for animal friend. It was used in Pixar's Finding Nemo for a turtle character.

Squirt

A pet name, both in the sense of being a term of endearment and a name for an animal friend. It might appeal to Pokémon fans (thanks to the fictional species Squirtle), to those who grew up with Pixar's Finding Nemo, and parents, using it as slang for small children.

Usually reserved as a term of endearment, Sugar has occasionally been used as a given name in the US, with at least 135 girls and 46 boys receiving the name since records began in the 1880s. It was recently used by singer Anne-Marie and rapper Slowthai for their son's middle name, born in 2024 but not announced until 2025. 
 The singer revealed she chose the name because she developed gestational diabetes when carrying her second baby, Forever Sugar, and went on to describe how that made it the perfect middle name for him. 
 
While Sugar could be a generic nickname for any baby, if you want a name that connects to the pet form, you could always go for Hugh or Hugo, which would lead you to the the Scottish nicknames Shug and Shuggie, or try a name with a sweet meaning (Myron, Pollux, Amai). Alternatively, Seamus, Shay, Shiloh, Samuel, and Sawyer contain some of the sounds.

Sugar

Chosen by influencer India Blue (also known as Indy Blue) for her son's middle name in 2025, Severe may be viewed as a word name, with various meanings, including "stern, strict", "great, intense", or "plain, restrained" (usually in regards to someone's appearance". As such, it may link to the "very demure" trend that year, though the content creator may have also chosen it as a nod to brother's name, Seven. 
 
Alternatively, Severe is a spelling variation of Sévère (SEH-VEHR), a French form of Severus, a Latin name meaning "stern, strict".

Severe

A modern sounding choice, Shaidan is in fact an Arabic name, meaning "high ranking", and not simply a member of the Brayden, Hayden, or Aidan family — although it may be used as such. In that case, it would likely mean "little hawk; fine and little" or "gift" from its Irish and Hebrew roots.
 
Other Arabic spellings include Shaydan, Shaidaan, and Shaydaan, while as a modern invention, it may be spelled as Shaiden, Shayden, Shaeden, and so on.

Shaidan

A rare, surname style choice, with a hint of Saul, Sol, and Sully about it, Sewall has been notably borne by geneticist Sewall Wright and automobile pioneer Sewall K. Crocker, who made the first successful cross-country automobile trip. It was also the middle name of Louisa May Alcott's younger sister (and the inspiration behind Beth of Little Women), Elizabeth Sewall Alcott, chosen because it was her maternal grandmother's maiden name.
 
Also spelled as Sewell, this English surname likely came from the Middle English given names Saeweald and Sigeweald, meaning "sea power" and "victorious authority" respectively. Another possibility however is that it was adapted from a place name, which likely meant "seven springs".

Sewall

A unique surname style choice, Sewall may appeal to fans of Louisa May Alcott or those looking for a rare sea-inspired option. Also spelled as Sewell, it likely comes from the Middle English given name, Saeweald, meaning "sea power", although alternative theories are that if comes from Sigeweald ("victorious authority") or Saywell (place name meaning "seven spring"). 
 
Given to a handful of boys over the years, it was notably the middle name of Louisa May Alcott's younger sister — and the inspiration for the character of Beth March — Elizabeth Sewall Alcott. It was chosen in honor of her maternal grandmother's maiden name.

English names that start with the letter S for boys and girls, including Shore, Shore, Stockard, Shadow, Selby, Satchel, Samphire, Samphire, Salmon, Swade, Swanna, Sphere, Secure, Squirt, Squirt, Sugar, Severe, Shaidan, Sewall, and Sewall. (Page 6)

English Names that Start With S

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