62 Baby Names That Start With S (Meanings & Origins)

Looking for baby names that start with S? S is one of the richest letters in the alphabet for baby names — soft and lyrical (Sophie, Selah), or strong and classic (Sebastian, Solomon). Below are 62 real S names for girls, boys, and unisex naming, each with genuine origin and meaning.

Why Choose a Baby Name That Starts With S?

S names span an unusually wide range of styles — soft, sibilant sounds like Selah and Sylvie sit alongside strong, structured names like Sebastian and Sterling. Whatever tone you’re after, S delivers real options with real history behind them.

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Popular Girl Names That Start With S

• Sophia – Greek, meaning “wisdom,” Sophia has been one of the most consistently popular U.S. girl names for over a decade, carrying real philosophical weight as the root of “philosophy” itself.
• Sophie – The French/English short form of Sophia, carrying the same “wisdom” root with a lighter, more casual sound.
• Scarlett – English, meaning “red,” Scarlett carries obvious bold color imagery and gained massive visibility through Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind.
• Stella – Latin for “star,” Stella carries celestial elegance and real literary weight through Tennessee Williams’s A Streetcar Named Desire.
• Sadie – A nickname-turned-given-name for Sarah, meaning “princess,” Sadie had a first wave of popularity in the early 1900s and has returned strongly.
• Savannah – Named for the flat grassland ecosystem, itself derived from a Taino word via Spanish, Savannah also carries Southern American charm through the Georgia city.
• Sarah – Hebrew, meaning “princess,” Sarah is the wife of Abraham in Genesis and one of the most enduring names in Judeo-Christian tradition.
• Skylar – A modern phonetic elaboration of “sky,” Skylar has grown quickly since the 2000s and works for either gender.
• Serenity – A direct English virtue name meaning calm and peace, Serenity carries obvious aspirational meaning.
• Selena – Greek, meaning “moon,” Selena carries celestial mythological roots and real cultural weight through singer Selena Quintanilla.

Unique & Rare Girl Names That Start With S

• Seraphina – Hebrew, related to the seraphim, the highest order of angels described in Isaiah, Seraphina carries serious spiritual and etymological weight.
• Saoirse – Irish, meaning “freedom,” pronounced “SEER-sha,” Saoirse gained global visibility through actress Saoirse Ronan.
• Solveig – Norwegian, meaning “sun strength” or “house of the sun,” Solveig is a central character in Ibsen’s Peer Gynt.
• Suri – Persian, meaning “red rose,” or Hebrew, meaning “princess” (as a variant of Sarah), Suri carries dual-culture roots.
• Sunniva – Old English/Norwegian, meaning “sun gift,” Sunniva carries real Norwegian saintly history through Saint Sunniva, patron saint of western Norway.
• Sable – Named for the small, dark-furred mammal, and also a heraldic term for the color black, Sable carries a rich, elegant double meaning.
• Selah – Hebrew, a word appearing frequently in the Book of Psalms, likely instructing a pause for reflection, Selah carries genuine liturgical weight.
• Sylvie – The French form of Sylvia, meaning “of the forest,” Sylvie carries a light, woodland charm.
• Susanna – Hebrew, meaning “lily,” Susanna appears in the deuterocanonical Book of Susanna as a virtuous woman falsely accused, later vindicated.
• Simone – The French feminine form of Simon, meaning “one who hears,” Simone carries real intellectual weight through philosopher Simone de Beauvoir.

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Popular Boy Names That Start With S

• Sebastian – Greek, meaning “venerable” or “revered,” Sebastian carries real religious history through Saint Sebastian, an early Christian martyr.
• Samuel – Hebrew, meaning “God has heard,” Samuel is a major prophet and judge in the Old Testament who anointed both King Saul and King David.
• Silas – Greek/Latin, a variant of Silvanus meaning “of the forest,” Silas appears in the New Testament as a companion of Paul.
• Santiago – Spanish, meaning “Saint James,” Santiago carries real religious and geographic weight as the name of numerous cities across the Spanish-speaking world.
• Simon – Hebrew, meaning “he has heard,” Simon was the original name of the apostle Peter before Jesus renamed him.
• Steven – Greek, meaning “crown” or “garland,” Steven carries the same root as Stephen with a slightly more modern spelling.
• Spencer – English, meaning “dispenser of provisions” (an occupational surname), Spencer carries real aristocratic history through the British Spencer family, including Princess Diana.
• Sawyer – English, meaning “one who saws wood,” Sawyer carries an outdoorsy, literary feel through Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer.
• Sullivan – Irish, meaning “dark-eyed” or “hawk-eyed,” Sullivan carries a strong, surname-style sound.
• Sterling – English, meaning “little star” or referring to genuine, high-quality silver, Sterling carries a polished, valuable double meaning.

Unique & Rare Boy Names That Start With S

• Soren – Danish, from the Latin Severus meaning “stern” or “severe,” Soren carries real intellectual weight through philosopher Søren Kierkegaard.
• Stellan – Swedish, of uncertain deeper origin, possibly related to “calm,” Stellan gained visibility through actor Stellan Skarsgård.
• Salvatore – Italian, meaning “savior,” Salvatore carries genuine religious weight and Italian cultural identity.
• Sirius – Greek, meaning “glowing” or “scorching,” Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky, part of the constellation Canis Major.
• Solomon – Hebrew, meaning “peace,” Solomon was the wise king of Israel famed for the Temple he built and the wisdom attributed to him in Proverbs.
• Severin – Latin, meaning “stern” or “severe,” Severin carries the same root as Soren with a Central European sound.
• Sancho – Spanish, meaning “holy” or “sanctified,” Sancho carries real literary weight through Sancho Panza, Don Quixote’s loyal squire.
• Silvio – Italian/Spanish, meaning “of the forest,” Silvio carries a romance-language elegance related to Silvanus.
• Stanislaus – Slavic, meaning “glorious camp” or “to become glorious,” Stanislaus carries real religious history through Saint Stanislaus, patron saint of Poland.
• Sylvester – Latin, meaning “of the forest” or “wooded,” Sylvester carries real papal history through several popes of that name.

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Unisex Baby Names That Start With S

• Sage – A direct English word name referring both to a wise person and the fragrant herb long associated with cleansing, Sage works for either gender.
• Story – A direct English word name carrying obvious narrative, literary meaning, Story works for either gender.
• Shiloh – Hebrew, meaning “peaceful” or referring to an ancient Israelite city, Shiloh works for either gender and gained visibility through Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s daughter.
• Sutton – English, meaning “southern settlement,” Sutton started as a surname before crossing into first-name use for either gender.
• Sky – A direct English nature word name, Sky carries expansive, open imagery and works for either gender.
• Shay – Irish, meaning “admirable” or “stately” (from Séamus or Séaghdha), Shay works for either gender with a short, clean sound.
• Salem – Hebrew, meaning “peace,” related to the same root as “shalom” and “Jerusalem,” Salem works for either gender.
• Sunny – A direct English word name meaning bright and cheerful, Sunny works for either gender with an upbeat, optimistic sound.

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Vintage & Classic S Names

• Shirley – English, meaning “bright meadow,” Shirley peaked in the 1930s alongside child star Shirley Temple and now reads as genuinely vintage.
• Stanley – English, meaning “stony meadow,” Stanley carries an old-fashioned, dependable American charm.
• Sylvia – Latin, meaning “of the forest,” Sylvia carries real literary weight through poet Sylvia Plath.
• Stewart – Scottish, meaning “steward” or “guardian,” Stewart carries real royal history as the surname of the House of Stuart.
• Seymour – English, meaning “from Saint-Maur,” Seymour carries real Tudor-era history as the family name of Jane Seymour, Henry VIII’s third wife.
• Sibyl – Greek, referring to the prophetic oracles of ancient Greece and Rome, Sibyl carries deep mythological and mystical weight.

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International S Names

• Sanaa (Arabic/Swahili) – Meaning “brilliance” or “radiance,” Sanaa is also the name of Yemen’s capital city.
• Song (Korean) – Meaning “pine tree,” a symbol of steadfastness and longevity in Korean culture.
• Salma (Arabic) – Meaning “peaceful” or “safe,” Salma carries the same root shared with “salaam.”
• Sven (Swedish) – Meaning “young man” or “youth,” Sven carries genuine Norse and Viking-era history.
• Satu (Finnish) – Meaning “fairy tale,” Satu carries a genuinely whimsical, storybook meaning within Finnish naming traditions.
• Suki (Japanese) – Meaning “beloved” depending on the characters used, Suki carries warm, affectionate meaning.
• Sakura (Japanese) – Meaning “cherry blossom,” a flower deeply symbolic in Japanese culture for its fleeting, beautiful bloom.
• Siddharth (Sanskrit) – Meaning “one who has achieved his goal,” Siddharth was the birth name of Siddhartha Gautama, who became the Buddha.

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FAQ: Baby Names That Start With S

Final Thoughts

From steady classics like Sophia and Samuel to genuinely rare picks like Solveig and Sancho, S offers real range for every naming style. Take your time, say the name out loud with your last name, and trust what feels right.

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