S- Girls

Sage

Herb name, Latin

"wise and knowing"

Sage is an evocatively fragrant herbal name that also connotes wisdom, giving it a double advantage. It entered the Top 1000 at about the same time for both genders in the early 1990s, but it has…

Selene

Greek

"moon"

Selene may be the mythological Greek original, but Latin variation Selena is used more often in the US these days. Selene is the Greek goddess of the moon, sister of Helios the sun god. Selene is…

Sabra

Hebrew

"prickly pear"

Term for a native-born Israeli, first brought to notice in Edna Ferber's 1929 novel Cimarron. Prickly pear has been interpreted to mean tough on the outside, soft and sweet within.

Saga

Swedish word name

"story; seeress"

Apt name for a little drama queen with a long future ahead of her. Saga is a Top 30 girls' name in Sweden. Saga was the Norse goddess of poetry, storytelling, and history. She was a prophetess — able…

Salome

Hebrew

"peace"

A soft and interesting Hebrew name long popular in France, where it has ranked in the Top 400 since 1986 (as Salomé). Ex- ER star Alex Kingston named her daughter Salome Violetta. Despite seeing…

Sapphire

Hebrew, Greek, and Latin jewel name

"blue"

Sapphire goes waaaaay beyond Ruby and Pearl. This September birthstone, occasionally used a century ago, might be worth a reappraisal, perhaps as a Sophie/Sophia alternative. Sapphire is the…

Sarika

Hungarian variation of Sarah, Hebrew, Hindi, Sanskrit, Khmer

Zippy and multicultural, Sarika can be considered a pretty nature name, referring to a myna bird in Hindi and Sanskrit and to a blackbird in Khmer (or Cambodian). In these contexts, it would be…

Saskia

Dutch

"Saxon"

From the first time we saw the name Saskia attached to a portrait of Rembrandt's wife (her full name was Saakje van Uylenburgh, but she was always called Saskia), we have found it utterly charming…

Senna

Botanical name; Arabic

"brightness"

Senna is a flowering bush common in the tropics, with bright yellow flowers. In herbal medicine, Senna has gained some notice as the active ingredient in so-called "dieter's teas," which works mainly…

September

English word name

"month name"

Parents are beginning to turn away from springtime months like April and June and are moving toward the cooler and crisper three-syllable September, October, November, and December.

Seraphine

French from Hebrew

"burning ones"

Seraphine is the Gallic version of the angelic name Seraphina. But while Seraphina has been rising rapidly since Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck chose it for their second daughter, Seraphine has been…

Seren

Welsh, Turkish

"star or sail mast"

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. Seren only recently fell out of the girls'…

Sibyl

Greek

"seer, oracle"

The original but less common spelling of Sybil, this name comes from Greek and Roman mythology, in which the sibyls were female prophets. A name that has dipped in and out of style since the Middle…

Sidra

Latin, Hebrew, Arabic

"like a star; order, sequence; lotus tree"

Sidra is an uncommon name shared by a gulf off the coast of Libya. Popular in the Jewish community of North Africa, its Hebrew meaning refers to a weekly reading portion of the Torah. In Arabic, it's…

Sigrid

Norse

"fair victory"

Sigrid is a distinctly Scandinavian name that is starting to edge out into the wider world, a la cousin Ingrid. Unfortunately, short form Siri is now off the table, but Sigrid is still a possibility.