Given name & surname · also Latin
Sebastian
“man from Sebasta”·“the revered one”
Sebastian is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “man from Sebasta” (Greek and Latin) and “the revered one” (Greek). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Original GreekΣεβαστιανός
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “man from Sebasta” (Greek and Latin) and “the revered one” (Greek). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with Greek and Latin naming traditions.
How it developed
In Swedish usage, Sebastian developed from SEBASTIANUS.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1881. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Sebastian through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 218,463
- 218,055 boys · 408 girls
- Most popular year
- 2016
- 10,325 babies
- 2025
- 8,615
- #16 for boys · #9,995 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −10%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 8,605 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 16 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 10.4% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 10,309 in 2016. It also appeared in 10 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (1,954). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 156,144 as a first name in 2020; 14,178 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Sebastian’s family of names
In Danish usage, Sebastian has a diminutive in Bastian. Sebastian has a feminine form in Sebastiana. Sebastian has a related form in Sebastien.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Sebastian has relatives in 28 languages. Lines run from its Ancient Greek roots to each of them.
49 related names in 28 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 27
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Bastianclipped form · German, Faroese
- Sebastienvariant
- Sabastianvariant · English
- Sebastianovariant · Italian
- Bastienshort form
- Bashdiminutive · English
- Sevashort form
- Sebastiannlikely variant
Show 19 moreShow fewer
- Sebastynvariant · English
- Sebadiminutive · Polish
- Sebiclipped form
- Sebbastianlikely variant
- Sebasttianlikely variant
- Sebasstianlikely variant
- Wastshort form · bar
- Sobieńdiminutive · Polish
- Bastidiminutive · German
- Sebbediminutive · Swedish
- Baschidiminutive · gsw
- Sebclipped form · English
- Bestvariant · German
- Beschshort form · German
- Sebastiánvariant · Czech, Spanish
- Sebestyenvariant
- Sebovariant
- Bastekdiminutive · Polish
- Sebastianekdiminutive · Polish
Spellings & scripts 4
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 36
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- ΣεβαστιανόςGreek, gr
- Sebastianusroot · Latin
- Sebastianafeminine form
- SebastainEnglish
- Sevastiancognate
- Sebastiaancognate · Dutch
- SebastijanSlovene, Croatian
- SabastienFrench
Show 28 moreShow fewer
- SebastyenEnglish
- SebastinEnglish
- Sebastiansequivalent
- Bas'cianequivalent
- Sebasténequivalent
- BosćijUpper Sorbian
- SebastiãoPortuguese
- Sébastiencognate · French
- Bastequivalent
- Sebastiaenequivalent
- SebestyénHungarian
- ŠebestiánCzech
- सेबेस्तांवkok
- SebastiàCatalan
- VastianuSicilian
- Siöebawym
- Söbawym
- Söebawym
- BastianuSicilian
- СевастьянRussian
- СебастьянRussian
- СевастианRussian
- СебасцянBelarusian
- СавасцянBelarusian
- СевасцянBelarusian
- SebastjanSlovene
- Sebastine SebastionEnglish
- SebastenEnglish
People named Sebastian
- Sebastian VettelGerman racing driverborn 1987
- Sebastian KurzChancellor of Austria (2017–2019, 2020–2021)born 1986
- Sebastian CoeBritish athlete and politician (born 1956)
- Sebastian StanRomanian and American actor (born 1982)
- Sebastian KehlGerman association football playerborn 1980
- Sebastian BrantGerman humanist and satirist (1458-1521)
- Sebastian GiovincoItalian association football player (born 1987)
- Sebastian RudyGerman association football playerborn 1990
- Sebastian RodeGerman association football playerborn 1990
Characters named Sebastian: Colonel Moran (the Sherlock Holmes stories), Sebastian Faust (DC Universe).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Sebastian, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Lucian
“surrounded by light”
>99% boys
Dominic
“a lord”
>99% boys
Leo
“lion” · “resembling a lion”
>99% boys
Ambrose
“immortal, divine”
98% boys · 2% girls
Benedict
“one who is blessed”
>99% boys
Philo
“one who loves and is loved”
>99% boys
Quentin
“the fifth-born child”
>99% boys
Rasmus
“one who is dearly loved”
>99% boys