Boy Names That Start With S
S is one of the busiest letters in boy names, and it covers a lot of ground: the gentle hiss of Silas and Sebastian, the surname swagger of Sawyer and Sullivan, and Old Testament heavyweights like Samuel, Solomon and Seth.
We’ve sorted more than 100 boy names that start with S by style, with meanings and origins for each. Compare them with our lists of boy names that start with R and boy names that start with T, or look through popular boy names if you want to know what’s trending overall.
Popular boy names starting with S
The S names you’re most likely to hear in American classrooms today, based on recent SSA data.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Samuel | God has heard | Hebrew |
| Sebastian | Venerable, revered | Greek via Latin |
| Santiago | Saint James | Spanish |
| Silas | Of the forest (from Silvanus) | Latin / Greek |
| Sawyer | Woodcutter, sawer of wood | English |
| Simon | He has heard | Hebrew |
| Stephen | Crown, garland | Greek |
| Steven | Crown (variant of Stephen) | Greek |
| Spencer | Steward, dispenser of provisions | English |
| Sullivan | Dark-eyed | Irish |
| Sutton | Southern settlement | English |
| Sterling | Little star; of high quality | English |
| Seth | Appointed | Hebrew |
| Scott | From Scotland | English |
| Sean | Irish form of John, “God is gracious” | Irish |
| Shane | Irish form of John | Irish |
| Soren | Stern (Danish form of Severus) | Danish |
| Sage | Wise; the herb | Latin / English |
Biblical S names for boys
Names from scripture with deep roots. More in our biblical boy names and Hebrew boy names.
| Name | Meaning | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|
| Solomon | Peace | 1 Kings 1–11 |
| Saul | Asked for, prayed for | 1 Samuel 9 |
| Samson | Of the sun | Judges 13–16 |
| Shiloh | Tranquil; place of rest | Genesis 49 |
| Stephanos | Crown (Greek form of Stephen) | Acts 6–7 |
| Silvanus | Of the forest | 1 Thessalonians 1 |
| Shem | Name, renown | Genesis 5 |
| Simeon | He has heard | Genesis 29 |
| Seraphim | Burning ones (angelic order) | Isaiah 6 |
| Shadrach | Babylonian name given to Hananiah | Daniel 1–3 |
Vintage S names ready for a comeback
Grandpa names that suddenly sound cool again. See also old man names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Stanley | Stony clearing | English |
| Sidney | Wide island | English |
| Sherman | Shearer of cloth | English |
| Sylvester | Of the woods | Latin |
| Seymour | From Saint-Maur, France | Norman French |
| Sheldon | Steep valley | English |
| Solly | Pet form of Solomon | English / Yiddish |
| Sonny | Son; affectionate nickname | English |
| Stuart | Steward, guardian of the household | Scottish |
| Sal | Short for Salvatore, “savior” | Italian |
| Seward | Sea guardian | English |
| Salvatore | Savior | Italian |
| Siegfried | Victory and peace | German |
Surname-style S names
Tailored, preppy and very American — last names reborn as first names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Sinclair | From Saint-Clair, France | Norman / Scottish |
| Sloan | Raider, warrior | Irish |
| Stetson | Stith’s son; the cowboy hat | English |
| Sheridan | Seeker | Irish |
| Shepherd | Sheep herder | English |
| Sheffield | Open field by the River Sheaf | English |
| Saxon | Knife, sword (the Germanic tribe) | English |
| Selby | Willow farm | Old Norse / English |
| Spalding | Place-name surname from Lincolnshire | English |
| Sorley | Summer traveler, Viking (Somhairle) | Scottish / Irish |
| Sutherland | Southern land | Scottish |
| Stirling | From the Scottish town of Stirling | Scottish |
International S names
S names from across Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Browse Swedish boy names and Arabic boy names for many more.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Stellan | Swedish | Calm, still |
| Sven | Scandinavian | Young man |
| Sigurd | Old Norse | Victory guardian |
| Sindri | Old Norse / Icelandic | Sparkling; a dwarf in Norse myth |
| Stefan | German / Slavic | Crown |
| Sergio | Italian / Spanish | From the Roman family name Sergius |
| Salvador | Spanish | Savior |
| Santino | Italian | Little saint |
| Samir | Arabic | Companion in evening conversation |
| Salim | Arabic | Safe, sound |
| Saif | Arabic | Sword |
| Sami | Arabic | Elevated, lofty |
| Suleiman | Arabic / Turkish | Form of Solomon, “peace” |
| Shlomo | Hebrew | Solomon, “peace” |
| Sanjay | Sanskrit | Victorious |
| Siddharth | Sanskrit | One who has achieved his goal |
| Shiv | Sanskrit | Auspicious (the god Shiva) |
| Suraj | Sanskrit | The sun |
| Sora | Japanese | Sky |
| Sota | Japanese | Brave, sudden (common reading) |
| Seamus | Irish | James, “supplanter” (SHAY-mus) |
| Stanislav | Slavic | Becoming glorious |
| Sasha | Russian | Nickname for Alexander, “defender” |
| Sergei | Russian | From Sergius |
| Sipho | Zulu | Gift |
| Santos | Spanish / Portuguese | Saints |
| Sakari | Finnish | Form of Zachary, “God remembered” |
| Sander | Dutch / Scandinavian | Short for Alexander |
| Silvio | Italian | Of the woods |
| Szymon | Polish | Form of Simon (SHIH-mon) |
| Sahil | Sanskrit / Hindi | Shore, guide |
| Sunil | Sanskrit | Deep blue |
Mythology, space and nature S names
Big, bright names borrowed from gods, stars and landscapes. See mythology boy names for more.
| Name | Meaning / source | Vibe |
|---|---|---|
| Sirius | Brightest star in the night sky | Celestial, bold |
| Saturn | Roman god of agriculture; the ringed planet | Cosmic |
| Sol | Sun | Warm, minimalist |
| Surya | Hindu sun god | Radiant |
| Sigmund | Victory protection | Operatic, Norse |
| Spruce | The evergreen tree | Outdoorsy, quirky |
| Stone | Rock | Strong, simple |
| Sparrow | The small bird | Gentle, artistic |
| Storm | Tempest | Dramatic, fierce |
| Sequoia | The giant redwood | Grand, Californian |
| Steel | The metal | Tough, modern |
Short S names and nicknames
One-syllable standouts; our one-syllable boy names list has more.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Sam | Short for Samuel | Hebrew |
| Sid | Short for Sidney | English |
| Stu | Short for Stuart | Scottish |
| Sy | Short for Simon or Silas | English |
| Shay | Hawk-like; admirable | Irish |
| Seb | Short for Sebastian | English |
Choosing an S name that fits
- Watch the sibilance. An S first name with an S surname (Silas Stevens) can sound slushy — or charming. Say it aloud a few times.
- Know the nicknames. Sebastian becomes Seb or Bash; Solomon becomes Sol; Samuel becomes Sam or Sammy. Pick the version you’ll actually use.
- Use heritage. Scandinavian roots? Consider Soren, Stellan or Sven. Irish family? Seamus, Sullivan or Sorley. See Irish boy names.
- Pair with contrast. A soft S name (Silas, Sage) balances well with a crisp middle name like Jack, Kurt or Theo.
- Check initials. S names combined with some middle and last names spell unfortunate words — write out all three initials before you commit.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular boy name that starts with S?
Sebastian and Samuel have been the most-used S names for boys in the US in recent years according to SSA data, followed by Santiago, Silas and Sawyer.
What are unique boy names that start with S?
Sindri, Sorley, Stellan, Seward, Sirius, Sequoia, Shadrach and Selby are real but rarely heard names that still feel wearable.
What does the name Silas mean?
Silas is a short form of Silvanus, from Latin silva, “forest.” In the New Testament, Silas travels with the apostle Paul (Acts 15–17).
What S names mean “peace”?
Solomon, Shlomo and Suleiman all go back to the Hebrew word shalom, “peace.” Find more names that mean peace.
Is Sage a boy or girl name?
Sage is used for both. In the US it is given to slightly more girls than boys, but it has a long history as a unisex name — see our unisex names.