Fantastical Names
- Sage
Origin:
Herb name; LatinMeaning:
"wise"Description:
Sage is an evocatively fragrant herbal name that also connotes wisdom, giving it a double advantage. It entered the Top 1000 at about the same time for both genders in the early 1990s, but it has pulled ahead for the girls. Toni Collette named her daughter Sage Florence.
- Saison
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"season"Description:
A French word name that could be a fresh spin on Summer or Autumn.
- Saladin
Origin:
ArabicMeaning:
"peace through faith"Description:
A name with considerable history, as the celebrated sultan of Egypt and Syria in the time of the Crusades.
- Salome
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"peace"Description:
A soft and interesting Hebrew name long popular in France, where it has ranked in the Top 400 since 1986 (as Salomé). Ex-ER star Alex Kingston named her daughter Salome Violetta.
- Salvadora
Origin:
Spanish, feminine variation of SalvadorDescription:
Olde World Latin.
- Samira
Origin:
ArabicMeaning:
"companion in evening conversation"Description:
Shiny cousin of Samara with an intriguing meaning. Increasingly associated with the charming Samira Wiley, a perennial scene-stealer on "Orange is the New Black" and "The Handmaid's Tale."
- Sansa
Origin:
SanskritMeaning:
"praise, charm"Description:
Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin is a master namer, and this unusual choice from India is beginning to be heard in nurseries as well as on television. Sansa was perhaps slower to catch on than other names such as Arya and Khaleesi as Sansa Stark was in the first seasons of the show a weak and compromised character.
- Saoirse
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"liberty"Description:
Before the young Irish actress Saoirse Ronan made her mark in the films Ladybird and The Lovely Bones, few of us had heard this name, let alone known how to pronounce it. But now it is slowly way edging its way into the mainstream, particularly, of course, with parents who have Irish roots. It made its first appearance in the US Top 1000 in 2016, when it was the third-fastest-rising girls' name.
- Sariah
Origin:
Variation of SarahDescription:
Sariah is the perfect compromise name for when you say Sarah, and your spouse says Mariah. Spelled Saria, it's a character in the video game The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
- Sascha
Origin:
German variation of SashaMeaning:
"defending warrior"Description:
In Europe, this name is mostly male, but here it's more fashionable for girls. It's a diminutive of Alexander.
- Satine
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"smooth, shiny"Description:
Satine, the name of the Nicole Kidman character in Moulin Rouge,, is, by definition satiny smooth. Jacinda Barrett named her daughter Satine Anais.
- Saul
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"prayed for"Description:
Jewish parents in particular may be drawn to this quiet, composed name of the first king of Israel and the name of Saint Paul before his conversion. In modern times, it has been associated with Nobel Prize-winning novelist Saul Bellow. Its meaning makes it appropriate for a long-awaited child.Saul is a character in a John Dryden poem, and heard in the Handel oratorio, "Saul."
- Savannah
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"flat tropical grassland"Description:
A place name with a deep Southern accent, the once-obscure Savannah shot to fame, with others of its genre, on the heels of the best seller Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, which was set in the mossy Georgia city of Savannah. Originally a substitute for the overused Samantha, Savannah is now becoming overused itself, long among the top girls' names starting with S.
- Scheherazade
Origin:
PersianMeaning:
"noble lineage"Description:
Scheherazade -- or Sheherazade --is a legendary Persian queen immortalized as the narrator of all one thousand stories in the One Thousand and One Nights. Her story is even more remarkable than the tales she tells.
- Seine
Origin:
French; river nameDescription:
River is rising as a new favorite name, and names of rivers are also increasingly used for our child.
- Selene
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"moon goddess"Description:
Selene may be the mythological Greek original, but Latin variation Selena is used more often in the US these days. Selene is the Greek goddess of the moon, sister of Helios the sun god. Selene is also sometimes called Cynthia and Phoebe. The name may be related to the word selas, which means light, and is one of the loveliest of the Greek goddess names.
- Selka
- Seraphina
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"ardent; fiery"Description:
Seraphina is one of the most-searched name on Nameberry, destined for even greater popularity. The highest-ranking angels, the six-winged seraphim, inspired the lovely name Seraphina.
- Serenella
Origin:
Italian, elaboration of SerenaMeaning:
"serene"Description:
Both rhythmic and serene, Serenella is one of the Italian names for girls virtually unknown in the US but definitely usable. An unusual route to Ella as a short form?
- Sherriah