Boy Names Starting with S

Well-known and rare boy names with S

• Salomon: A name of Hebrew origin. It traces back to the word shalom, which is documented to mean “peace”.
• Sami: In Finnish, Sami is a short form of Samuel. Independently, there is Arabic Sāmī with the meaning “exalted” and Samīʿ with the meaning “hearing”. These Arabic forms are spelled differently; the transliteration Sami can obscure them.
• Samir: A name from the Arabic language area. The documented meaning is “the nightly conversation partner”.
• Samo: A name from the Slavic language area. The older word meaning of this name family is not definitively clear; it is often a short form of longer names beginning with “Samo-”. A single blanket meaning would be too imprecise.
• Samuel: Traces back to the Hebrew name Schmu'el; the documented meaning is “God has heard” or “name of God”.
• Sander: The Dutch and Scandinavian short form of Alexander. The Greek root word means “the defender”.
• Sandro: The Italian short form of Alessandro (Alexander). Analogous to Alexander, the meaning is “the defender”.
• Santiago: A name of Spanish origin composed of “Santo Iago”, thus definitively meaning “Saint James”.
• Sascha: This is the Russian pet form of Alexander. The Greek root word means “the defender”.
• Sean: The Irish form of John (Johannes). The Hebrew root word means “God is gracious”. A common spelling variant in the English-speaking world is Shawn.
• Sebastian: Originates from Greek and Latin. It originally means “the man from Sebaste”, which in turn traces back to the Greek word for “venerable”.
• Semih: A Turkish name with Arabic roots. The documented meaning is “the generous one”.
• Severin: Traces back to the Roman cognomen Severus; the Latin root word means “serious” or “strict”.
• Siegfried: A classic Old High German name. It is composed of the words for “victory” and “peace”.
• Silas: Silas is the name of a companion of Paul in the New Testament. A short form of Silvanus is the most likely explanation; in addition, a connection to Saul via Aramaic is discussed. An undisputed, definitive single word meaning cannot be given.
• Silvan: Traces back to the Roman forest god Silvanus. The Latin root word means “forest”.
• Simon: A name of Hebrew origin. The root word is documented to mean “he has heard”.
• Sinan: A name from the Arabic and Turkish language areas. The confirmed translation is “the spearhead”.
• Sion: There are various origins for this name. It can be the Welsh form of John (Johannes) or refer to the biblical place name Zion; a blanket meaning would be too imprecise here.
• Sören: The Danish and Norwegian form of Severin. The name traces back to the Latin severus and means “serious” or “strict”.
• Stefan: Traces back to the Greek word stephanos. The confirmed meaning is “the wreath” or “the crown”. A common spelling variant is Stephan.
• Sten: A short Nordic name. It traces back to the Old Norse word for “stone”.
• Sven: A traditional Nordic name. It traces back to the Old Norse word sveinn, which is documented to mean “boy” or “young man”.
• Sylvan: An alternative spelling of Silvan that shares the same Latin origin (“forest”).

Pronunciation and spelling: What to keep in mind with the letter S

In German, the S at the beginning of a name before vowels is usually pronounced softly and voiced, as in Simon or Samuel. In southern Germany and Austria, however, it is often pronounced harder. If the S comes before a P or T, as in Stefan, it is articulated in Standard German as “Sch”.

When choosing international names, pay attention to the different spellings for sibilants: The English Sean or the Russian Sascha illustrate that the sound is written completely differently depending on the language region. The spelling with ph or f (Stephan vs. Stefan) is also a common topic with S names that you will need to decide on when choosing a name.

Tip for your search: In the HeyName app, you can specifically set the filter to the initial letter S. Rate the suggested names independently of each other as “Favorite,” “Maybe,” or “Not a match.” As soon as you have both marked the same name as a favorite, it will appear as a mutual match in your list.

How to narrow down your favorites

A first name needs to work well in everyday life. Write down your shortlist together and say the first names out loud in combination with your last name. Pay particular attention to the transition: If the first name ends with an S and the last name also begins with an S (as in “Silas Schmidt”), the sounds often blend into a single S sound when spoken.

Narrow your list down to up to three favorites. Take advantage of the opportunity to test these names out in everyday life for a few days before making a final decision.

Editorial update: September 22, 2026

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