Boy name · Greek
Sebastian
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: man of sebaste, venerableSebastian is a boy's name that comes from Greek and means "man of sebaste, venerable". It is used in English, German, Scandinavian, Polish and Spanish.
- Meaning
- Man of sebaste, venerable
- Origin
- Greek
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #16 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Sebastian
As a boy's name, Sebastian comes from Greek and means "man of sebaste, venerable". It is used in English, German, Scandinavian, Polish and Spanish. In Spanish it is spelled Sebastián.
In Spanish, say seh-bahs-TYAHN. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Sebastian is also a surname: the 2,480th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 14,178 people. See the most common last names.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Sebastian on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Sebastian on 9 lists.
“Polished, proper and quietly brilliant”
From Nicknames for ChatGPT, butler and assistant-style names
“Latin for from Sebaste, a city whose name meant venerable”
From Boy dog names, distinguished names for gentleman dogs
“Venerable; Greek. Long and elegant”
From Boy middle names, long middle names for short first names
“Man of Sebaste, venerable; Greek. A third-century saint and martyr”
From Classic boy names, traditional Latin and Greek boy names
“Greek for venerable; a soldier-saint of Rome”
From Priest names, cool priest names
“Man of Sebaste, venerable; Greek. Bastian for short”
From German boy names, biblical and saints' names in German
“From Sebaste; Latin, from Greek for venerable. A martyred saint painted by countless Renaissance artists”
From Gothic names, gothic male names with real meanings
“From Sebaste, a city whose name means venerable; Latin via Greek. No. 3 in 2020: 5,850 babies (INEGI). Say seh-bahs-TYAHN”
From Mexican boy names, popular Mexican boy names (INEGI 2020)
“From Sebaste, a city whose Greek name means venerable; polished and courtly”
From Vampire names, male vampire names
How popular is Sebastian?
- US rank in 2025
- #16
- 8,605 babies, 5,038 per million boys
- Best rank
- #13 in 2022
- Most babies: 10,309 in 2016
- Babies since 1881
- At least 218,055
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 31 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 38 per million |
| 1900s | 66 per million |
| 1910s | 126 per million |
| 1920s | 112 per million |
| 1930s | 73 per million |
| 1940s | 39 per million |
| 1950s | 25 per million |
| 1960s | 58 per million |
| 1970s | 86 per million |
| 1980s | 154 per million |
| 1990s | 749 per million |
| 2000s | 2,699 per million |
| 2010s | 4,610 per million |
| 2020s | 5,158 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #23 | #23 | #18 | #18 | #19 | #19 | #13 | #13 | #14 | #16 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Nicknames for Sebastian
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Sebcommon English nickname
- Bashcommon English nickname
- Bastiancommon English nickname
Other forms of Sebastian
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- BastianMan of Sebaste, venerable (Greek, boy)
- BastienMan of Sebaste, venerable (Greek, boy)
- SebastiaanMan of sebaste, venerable (Greek, boy)
- SebastianoFrom Sebaste, the venerable city (Greek, boy)
- SebastiãoVenerable (Greek, boy)
- SébastienMan of sebaste, venerable (Greek, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- AugustExalted, venerable (Latin, boy)
- AugustaGreat, venerable (Latin, girl)
- AugustinVenerable, great (Latin, boy)
- AugustoExalted, venerable (Latin, boy)
- GusGreat, venerable (Latin, boy)
- AgostinoVenerable, great (Latin, boy)
- AgustínVenerable, great (Latin, boy)
- AgustinaVenerable, great (Latin, girl)
- AugusteExalted, venerable (Latin, boy)
- AugustineVenerable (Latin, boy)
Middle names for Sebastian
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Greek
- AlexanderDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- LucasMan from Lucania (Greek, boy)
- ChristianFollower of Christ (Greek, boy)
- LeonA lion (Greek, boy)
- HectorHolding fast (Greek, boy)
- TheoGift of God (Greek, boy)
- AlexisHelper, defender (Greek, boy)
- LucaMan from Lucania (Greek, boy)
- PeterRock, stone (Greek, boy)
- AlexDefender, protector (Greek, unisex)
Sebastian: common questions
What does the name Sebastian mean?
Sebastian comes from Greek and means "man of sebaste, venerable".
Is Sebastian a boy or girl name?
Sebastian is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 10 girls and 8,605 boys in the US were named Sebastian, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are nicknames for Sebastian?
Common nicknames for Sebastian include Seb, Bash and Bastian.
How popular is the name Sebastian?
Sebastian ranked #16 in the US in 2025, with 8,605 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Sebastian?
Forms of Sebastian with the same meaning and origin include Bastian (German), Bastien (French), Sebastiaan (Dutch), Sebastiano (Italian) and Sebastião (Portuguese).
What middle names go with Sebastian?
Middle names that flow well with Sebastian include Abel, Asher, Glenn, Lane and Leo. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.