Names from Whats My Line

Sal

English, diminutive of Salvador or Salvatore, Latin

"savior"

The sidekick in almost every movie or TV show with an Italo-American setting, this once common name has now fallen onto the endangered list, given to fewer than 50 baby boys each year.

Sammy

Hebrew

"god has heard"

Short for Samuel or long for Sam, Sammy is a sweet midcentury nickname name that we can see coming back.

Sandy

Scottish and English diminutive of Alexander

"defending men"

A sweet Scottish short form of Alexander which is feeling newly appealing now the era of Sandra is far behind us. Sandy would also work well as a nickname for a child with pale red or dark blond hair.

Sascha

German variation of Sasha

"defending warrior"

In Europe, this name is mostly male, but here it's more fashionable for girls. It's a diminutive of Alexander.

Serafino

Serafino is a masculine Italian name derived from the Hebrew word 'seraphim,' referring to a category of celestial beings described as fiery, six-winged angels in biblical tradition. The name carries…

Seymour

English

"marshy land near the sea"

Out playing shuffleboard at his condo and not expected back for several generations -- unless it morphs into a girls' name, a la Sydney.

Shelley

English

"clearing on a bank"

Despite its poetic associations, almost as dated as Sheldon, and more feminine.

Sidney

English from French

"Saint Denis"

A contraction name, Sidney comes from Saint Denis and is related to Dioynsius, the Greek god of fertility and wine, although another theory is that it derived from an Anglo-Saxon place name, meaning…

Sig

Sig is a masculine name with Scandinavian and Germanic origins. It functions both as a standalone name and as a shortened form of names containing the element 'sig,' such as Sigmund, Sigurd, or…

Sol

Spanish

"sun"

Although pinochle-playing partner Sam came out of retirement, we don't see it happening to Sol. Near soundalike Saul has more of a shot. Sol was also a Roman god/personification of the sun, and an…

Solon

Greek

"the wise one"

Despite the reputation of the sagacious ancient Greek lawmaker, this name hasn't moved to the modern world.

Spike

English word name

"a very large nail"

Spike is part mid-century nickname-name, ala Buster or Buck, and part word name, with an all-over cool creative dude feel thanks to directors Spike Lee and Spike Jonze. Mike Myers named his son…

Steve

Diminutive of Stephen or Steven

"garland, crown"

Some parents just use Steve on the birth certificate, but it doesn't have the breezy charm of trendy short forms like Max, Sam, and Jake. Regardless of how much you love Steve as a given name, it…

Stirling

Scottish

"from the city of Stirling"

Though the usual U.S. spelling is Sterling, this is the authentic Scottish family name version.

Syd

Syd is a concise masculine name with multiple origins. Most commonly, it serves as a diminutive of Sidney (or Sydney), which derived from French place names meaning 'wide island' or 'Saint Denis.' It…

Sylvan

Latin

"wood, forest"

One of the many variations of Silvanus, the name of the Roman forest god, and a little-used member of the freshly stylish Sylv- family of names. Silvan is the sleek German and Dutch form. Given to…