S - Boys' Names

Religious name long common in Italy, as is the diminutive Santino. In the Cornwall region of England, it's a traditional diminutive for Alexander.

If you've rejected all the names on earth, you might move on to the sixth planet from the sun, also the Roman god of agriculture and plenty, and the origin of Saturday.

An old aristocratic English name which also belongs to Cambridge college, named for George Augustus Selwyn, the first Bishop of New Zealand, subsequently Bishop of Lichfield.

Seneca's distinguished heritage as the name of the ancient Roman philosopher-playwright who tutored Nero, and of an Iroquois tribe makes this an interesting choice for either sex.

Seren, meaning "star", is one of the top girls' names in Wales, but as a boys' name it has a different derivation. It's a rare Polish form of the Latin Serenus, meaning "serene". It could make for a handsome and almost unknown alternative to rising star Soren.

Sleek and smart, with a hint of mystique about it, Silas is a recent addition to the US Top 100. Both mythological and Biblical in origin, Silas joins the ranks of Isaiah, Atlas, Elias, and Sebastian: polished and contemporary feeling names with plenty of history.

Quite common in traditional Greek families, but for others, we think Plato might be easier to handle.

Solomon, a name that evokes wisdom and peace, is an Old Testament name that, along with other patriarchal classics, is finally beginning to shed its long white beard and step from the pages of the Old Testament into modern nurseries.

This gentle Scandinavian name, soft and sensitive, is being discovered in a major way by parents in the US. It's most closely identified with the nineteenth century philosopher Soren Kierkegaard, but there have been modern fictional Sorens as well, in The Matrix Reloaded and the book series Guardians of Ga'Hoole, Charlie and Lola, and Underworld.

Soft, amber-hued herbal and autumnal name that's used most often to describe the color of a horse. The proper spelling: Sorrel.

Sullivan is a jaunty Celtic three-syllable name, with a real twinkle in its eye. It was immortalized in the 1930s classic film Sullivan's Travels and was chosen for one of Patrick Dempsey's twin boys. Nickname Sully is equally jaunty.

Sylvanus or Silvanus was the Roman god of the forest whose name is much more often found today in such variations as Sylvia, Sylvie and even Silas than in its original form. But if you're looking for a genuine mythological or Ancient Roman name with a nature connection, this might be the perfect choice.