Compilation of S names

A compilation of names starting with the letter "S" - (Dear Nameberry, can we please go back to not needing the long 15 word description?)
  1. Sally
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Sarah
    • Meaning:

      "princess"
    • Description:

      Sally is a cheerful, fresh-faced girl-next-door name that was originally a nickname for Sarah, but has long been used independently. Sally was popular in the eighteenth century and then again from the 1920s to the 1960s--it was just outside the Top 50 around 1940. Though it hasn't been heard as a baby name for decades, we can see Sally bouncing back, especially after her exposure as young Ms. Draper on Mad Men--the Nameberries rank it at Number 621, and it's a Top 100 name in Sweden.
  2. Samson
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "sun"
    • Description:

      With the prevailing popularity of Samuel, some parents are considering this more (literally) powerful biblical name, which shares the desirable nickname of Sam.
  3. Samwell
    • Origin:

      Variant of Samuel
    • Description:

      George R.R. Martin named lovable Game of Thrones character Samwell Tarly, Jon Snow's closest friend in the Night's Watch, after Samwise Gamgee, Frodo's companion in The Lord of the Rings. Both characters are earthy, kind and rotund.
  4. Saraswati
    • Origin:

      Sanskrit
    • Meaning:

      "possessing water"
    • Description:

      Saraswati is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, learning, music, and the arts. She is also a river goddess, associated with the mythical Saraswati river, which played an important part in the Vedic texts.
  5. Savannah
    • Origin:

      Spanish
    • Meaning:

      "flat tropical grassland"
    • Description:

      A place name with a deep Southern accent, the once-obscure Savannah shot to fame, with others of its genre, on the heels of the best seller Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, which was set in the mossy Georgia city of Savannah. Originally a substitute for the overused Samantha, Savannah is now popular itself, long among the top girls' names starting with S.
  6. Scott
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "from Scotland"
    • Description:

      A cool, windswept, surfer babe-magnet in 1965, a nice dad -- or even granddad -- today.
  7. Sean
    • Origin:

      Irish variation of John
    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"
    • Description:

      Sean, after a long reign as one of the top Irish boys' names in the US, has now slipped as parents look to fresher Irish choices such as Liam and Aidan. In Ireland, Sean is still highly popular, but variation Senan, an Anglicized spelling of diminutive Seanan, is also stylish in Ireland. While Sean is the Irish form of John, Seanan and Senan may be thought of either as Sean diminutives or relatives of the Latin word "senator".
  8. Seaton
    • Origin:

      Scottish and English
    • Meaning:

      "town by the sea"
    • Description:

      A perfectly fine Anglo surname, though we'd prefer Keaton. Oscar-winning writer-director George Seaton (Miracle on 34th Street, The Country Girl) was actually born George Stenius.
  9. Sedna
    • Origin:

      Native American, Inuit
    • Meaning:

      "goddess of the sea"
    • Description:

      The name of the Inuit goddess of the sea, marine animals, and the underworld. There is also a dwarf planet in the outer solar system called 90377 Sedna, discovered in 2003 and named after the goddess because: "Our newly discovered object is the coldest, most distant place known in the Solar System, so we feel it is appropriate to name it in honor of Sedna, the Inuit goddess of the sea, who is thought to live at the bottom of the frigid Arctic Ocean."
  10. Seraphina
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "ardent; fiery"
    • Description:

      Seraphina is one of the most-searched name on Nameberry, destined for even greater popularity. The highest-ranking angels, the six-winged seraphim, inspired the lovely name Seraphina.
  11. Seren
    • Origin:

      Welsh, Turkish
    • Meaning:

      "star or sail mast"
    • Description:

      Seren is a top girls' name in Wales – and a lovely choice almost unknown elsewhere. Seren, in the Sirona form, was an ancient goddess of the hot springs.
  12. Seven
    • Origin:

      Numerical word name
    • Description:

      Seinfeld's George threatened to name his future child Seven, and then singer Erykah Badu actually did it.
  13. Sidony
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Sidonie
    • Description:

      Sidony and its mother name Sidonie are unusual and attractive French girls' names, with a fresher feel than the fading Sydney.
  14. Sienna
    • Origin:

      Italian color name
    • Meaning:

      "orange red"
    • Description:

      Sienna has been a Top 100 choice in England & Wales since 2005, the year after Sienna Miller's acting breakthrough in the hit movies Alfie and Layer Cake. In the US, it also got a big boost in the early noughties, before dropping slightly then rebounding to reach an all-time high in 2022.
  15. Signe
    • Origin:

      Scandinavian
    • Meaning:

      "new victory"
    • Description:

      Signe could make an offbeat, more unusual alternative to Sydney or Sigrid. In Norse mythology, Signe was the twin sister of Sigmund. Can also be spelled Signy.
  16. Sigourney
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "daring king"
    • Description:

      Actress Sigourney -- born Susan -- Weaver made this unusual name (which she found in The Great Gatsby) famous, if not popular.
  17. Siobhan
    • Origin:

      Irish Gaelic
    • Meaning:

      "god is gracious"
    • Description:

      Siobhan is the Irish variation of Joan, which is derived from the ancient Anglo-Norman name Jehanne. In this way Siobhan is indirectly related to the name Sinead—the Irish form of Jeannette, which also derived from Jehanne—although Sinead is not a nickname for Siobhan. Siobhan was the name of several early Irish queens and was introduced to the American public by the actress Siobhan McKenna.
  18. Skylar
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Schuyler, meaning "scholar"
    • Meaning:

      "scholar"
    • Description:

      Skylar is a name with a hint of both edginess and whimsy and it makes for a nature-inspired choice that is neither too wordy nor too floral. Popular for girls since the 90s, Skylar has remained in the US Top 100 for over a decade.
  19. Skyler
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Skylar or Schuyler
    • Description:

      While Skylar is currently the most popular spelling choice for girls, the Skyler option is more (statistically) unisex. Given to boy and girls in nearly equal numbers each year, it ranks around the middle of the US Top 1000.
  20. Sofia
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "wisdom"
    • Description:

      Sofia is a variation of the Greek name Sophia, which was derived directly from sophia, the Greek word for wisdom. It was the name of a Roman saint—the mother of Faith, Hope, and Charity—and queens of Russia and Spain.