If you’re looking for a seriously strong or soft and sweet name for your baby, consider a name that starts with the letter S. Plenty of Americans don names that begin with this letter, such as Samuel, Sarah, Shawn, and Steven, to name a few.
However, cultures around the world boast names starting with S as well, and each with their own unique meaning. Take Sabela, for example, which is actually the Galician form of Isabella. This name means “God is my abundance,” making it a simple, modern spin on an already-popular name; Isabella is the fourth most-popular girl’s name in the United States as of 2024.
There’s also the boy’s name Safi, which is Arabic in origin and means “pure.” This is definitely a virtue you want to wish upon your child, especially in our increasingly-hectic world. If Safi isn’t your cup of tea, though, consider Solomon, which is an old Biblical favorite that simply means “peace.”
While Samantha is another tried-and-true standby, an updated version we love is Samira. This Sanskrit girl’s name means wind or air. It’s still relatively rare in the U.S., too, as only 209 baby girls born in 2019 bear the name.
Last but not least, Sylvia is a relatively old-fashioned girl’s name that deserves a comeback. Derived from the Latin silva, it shares the same meaning of wood or forest. It also has a distinctly sleek and luxurious mouthfeel to it, rolling off the tongue effortlessly.
Check out some of our other baby names starting with S on the list below–they’re simply stupendous!
Saadya
Meaning: God’s helper
Origin: Hebrew
Gender: Boy
Sabela
Meaning: Form of Isabella
Origin: Galician
Gender: Girl
Saba
Meaning: From Sheba
Origin: Greek
Gender: Girl
Saber
Meaning: Sword
Origin: French
Gender: Boy
Sabina
Meaning: From an ancient Roman tribe name, Sabinus
Origin: Latin
Gender: Girl
Sabir
Meaning: Patient
Origin: Arabic
Gender: Boy
Sadira
Meaning: Dreamy
Origin: Persian
Gender: Girl
Saehrimnir
Meaning: A mythical magic boar
Origin: Norse
Gender: Boy
Saeunn
Meaning: Mother of Bergthora
Origin: Norse
Gender: Girl
Saeweard
Meaning: Sea guardian
Origin: English
Gender: Boy
Safford
Meaning: From the willow ford
Origin: English
Gender: Boy
Saffron
Meaning: Both a type of crocus and the expensive orange spice made from the stamen of this flower
Origin: English
Gender: Girl
Safi
Meaning: Pure
Origin: Arabic
Gender: Girl
Sage
Meaning: Wise one
Origin: English
Gender: Boy
Sagira
Meaning: Little one
Origin: Egyptian
Gender: Girl
Sahir
Meaning: Charming. Enchanting. Wakeful
Origin: Muslim
Gender: Boy
Sa’id
Meaning: Happy. Lucky. Rivulet
Origin: Muslim
Gender: Boy
Sakari
Meaning: Sweet
Origin: Indian
Gender: Girl
Sakima
Meaning: King
Origin: Native American
Gender: Boy
Salah
Meaning: Righteousness. Goodness. Peace
Origin: Muslim
Gender: Boy
Salem
Meaning: Peace
Origin: Arabic
Gender: Boy
Sallie
Meaning: Princess
Origin: Hebrew
Gender: Girl
Samira
Meaning: Wind or air
Origin: Sanskrit
Gender: Girl
Salvador
Meaning: Savior
Origin: Latin
Gender: Boy
Salvia
Meaning: Wise
Origin: Latin
Gender: Girl
Samar
Meaning: Conversations at night
Origin: Arabic
Gender: Boy
Sammy
Meaning: Diminutive of Samantha: Listen; name of God
Origin: Hebrew
Gender: Girl
Samson
Meaning: Sun child; bright sun. In the Old Testament, Samson’s great strength came from his long hair. He was seduced by Delilah, who cut his hair off, thereby destroying his strength
Origin: Hebrew
Gender: Boy
Samuel
Meaning: Name of God; asked of God; heard by God. Samuel was the prophet who anointed Saul and David as kings of Israel in the Old Testament
Origin: Hebrew
Gender: Boy
Sandra
Meaning: Variant of Alexandra: A feminine form of Alexander meaning defender of men
Origin: Greek
Gender: Girl
Sandro
Meaning: Abbreviation of Alexander ‘defender of man.’
Origin: Italian
Gender: Boy
Sangrida
Meaning: A Valkyrie
Origin: Norse
Gender: Girl
Santos
Meaning: Saint
Origin: Spanish
Gender: Boy
Sara
Meaning: Princess
Origin: Spanish
Gender: Girl
Sati
Meaning: True
Origin: Indian
Gender: Girl
Saul
Meaning: Asked for; inquired of God
Origin: Hebrew
Gender: Boy
Sawyer
Meaning: Cuts timber
Origin: Celtic
Gender: Boy
Saxon
Meaning: Sword
Origin: English
Gender: Boy
Scarlet
Meaning: Red
Origin: English
Gender: Girl
Scott
Meaning: From Scotland; a Gael. Surname
Origin: English
Gender: Boy
Seabert
Meaning: Glory at sea
Origin: English
Gender: Boy
Seabroc
Meaning: From the brook by the sea
Origin: English
Gender: Boy
Seana
Meaning: Present
Origin: Irish
Gender: Girl
Sebastian
Meaning: Revered
Origin: Greek
Gender: Boy
Selena
Meaning: Variant of Celine
Origin: French
Gender: Girl
Selma
Meaning: Secure
Origin: Egyptian
Gender: Girl
Sem
Meaning: Mame, renown
Origin: Biblical
Gender: Boy
Serafim
Meaning: An angel like being of a lower order
Origin: Hebrew
Gender: Boy
Solomon
Meaning: Peace
Origin: Biblical
Gender: Boy
Sylvia
Meaning: Wood or forest
Origin: Latin
Gender: Girl
