Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Sevelev RussianDerived by means of suffix "-ev" from Old Slavic verb sheveliti (se) meaning to make noise, to whirr, to rustle, to whistle, to wander. Initially it designated someone bold, daring, hardy, spirited... [
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Severn EnglishFrom the name of the River Severn, which is of unknown meaning. The Severn is Great Britain's longest river, flowing from Wales through much of western England to the Bristol Channel. It is one of Britain’s most ancient river names, recorded as early as the 2nd century AD in the form
Sabrina; its original meaning may have been "slow-moving" or "boundary".
Severnyy m RussianMeans "northern". Likely denoted to someone who lived in the northern part of a village.
Sevier EnglishOccupational name for a sieve-maker, Middle English
siviere (from an agent derivative of Old English
sife "sieve").
Sevilla SpanishHabitational name from the city of Seville (or Sevilla) in Andalusia, Spain. The city's name is probably derived from Phoenician
šplh meaning "valley, plain" through Arabic إِشْبِيلِيَة
(ʾišbīliya).
Seville Spanish, Englisha city in southwestern Spain; a major port and cultural center; the capital of bullfighting in Spain. Synonyms: Sevilla Example of: city, metropolis, urban center. a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts... [
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Sewall EnglishDerived from the Middle English given names
Sewal(d) or
Sawal(d), variants of Old English
Sæweald from
sæ "sea" and
weald "power, authority, rule".
Sewell EnglishDerived from the Middle English given names
Sewal(d) and
Siwal(d), variants of Old English
Sigeweald, composed of
sige "victory" and
weald "power, authority, rule".
Sewina German, PolishThe first available record of the Sewina family name is around 1620 in the province of Silesia, a mixed cultural region between Germany and Poland. Once part of the Prussian Empire and Germany. After World War Two, the area is now part of Poland... [
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Seydoux French, French (Swiss), OccitanDerived from the Germanic names
Sedulius,
Sedulfus or
Segedolfus. Another theory suggests Occitan roots; it might be an occupational name for someone who worked with silk, derived from Occitan
sedós meaning "silky, soft"... [
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Seyfried GermanDerived from the given name
Siegfried. The American actress Amanda Seyfried (1985-) is a well-known bearer of this name.
Seynaeve FlemishEither derived from Old French
chenave "hemp", an occupational name for a hemp farmer, or a cognate of German
Senft "mustard".
Sezer TurkishMeans "intuition", from Turkish
sezmek meaning "to understand, to perceive".
Sferrazza ItalianOccupational name for a scrap-metal merchant, from a derivative of Sferro in the sense ‘old and broken iron’. Habitational name from the district of Paternò in Catania, Sicily.
Sforza ItalianDerived from the Italian verb
sforzare meaning "to force, strain"; also compare the related word
forza "force, strength". This was the surname of a dynasty of Milanese dukes, which held power in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Sgouros GreekThe surname means "curly-haired" in medieval Greek. According to Adamantios Korais the etymology is from the Greek word gyros (round).
Sha ChineseFrom Chinese 沙
(shā) referring to the ancient state of Sha, which was part of the state of Song during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Hebei province. Alternately it may come from Sha Sui, the name of a fief that was part of Song in what is now Henan province, or from Su Sha, the name of an ancient clan that inhabited parts of present-day Shandong province.
Shacklady EnglishPerhaps from a medieval nickname for a man who had had sexual relations with a woman of higher social class (from
shag "to copulate with" (not recorded before the late 17th century) and
lady).... [
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Shackleford English, Medieval EnglishLocational surname deriving from the place called Shackleford in Surrey, near the town of Farnham. The origin of "shackle" is uncertain. It could be derived from Old English
sceacan "to shake"... [
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Shackleton EnglishThe place name probably means "valley by a point of land," from the Old English
scacol +
denu. Another source claims the word
scacol, describes a "tongue of land."
Shaddy IrishOrigin unidentified. Perhaps a variant of Irish Sheedy.
Shade English, ScottishTopographic name for someone who lived near a boundary, from Old English
scead "boundary".
Shade EnglishFrom Old English
sceadu "shadow, wraith", possibly a nickname for a very thin man.
Shadow EnglishOrigin unidentified. The name
Shadue,
Schadewe is recorded in England in the 12th and 13th centuries, from Middle English
shadwe ‘shadow’, Old English
sceadu (see
Shade)... [
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Shahot m Indian (Sikh)The Shahot caste, one of the 13 Jatt clans associated with Sikhism, traces its origins to the 1900s. Historically, they were an agrarian community, deeply connected to the land and farming.
Shakerchi TurkishOf Turkish origin, the most widely reported origin and meaning is “Sugarman” in English. The name Shakerchi is a nickname or a surname that has been adopted by individuals with Turkish heritage... [
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Shakshuki Arabic (Maghrebi)Most likely from Libyan Arabic شَكْشُوكَةٌ
(šakšawka) meaning “a mixture”, referring to a type of North African dish made of vegetables and fried eggs.
Shakya Nepali, Indian, HindiFrom the name of an ancient clan that inhabited parts of present-day Nepal and northern India. The name may have been derived from Sanskrit शाक
(shaka) or शक
(shaka) referring to the Sakas, a group of nomadic Iranian peoples, or from शक्य
(shakya) meaning "possible, capable".
Shalak Ukrainian (Rare), Polish (Rare, Expatriate)Probably from an old Ukrainian word or borrowed from old Polish
ślak, variant of
szlak, meaning "path, trail, route, way". Also an alternate spelling of Polish
Szalak, used as a Cyrillic transliteration or foreign adaptation.
Shalhoub ArabicPossibly from a given name based on a word meaning "generous".
Shalit HebrewFrom Hebrew שליט
(shalit) meaning "ruler" or "ruling, governing, dominant".
Shallcross EnglishMeans "person from Shallcross", Derbyshire ("place by the Shacklecross", an ancient stone cross in the High Peak, its name perhaps denoting a cross to which people could be shackled as a penance).
Shama Japanese (Rare)Combination of Kanji Characters "者" meaning "Person", and "間" meaning "Between", "While". Other Kanji Character Combinations possible.
Shami ArabicMeans "Syrian" or "Damascene", derived from Arabic الشام
(ash-Sham) referring to both Syria and the Syrian city of Damascus.
Shamir HebrewDerived from Hebrew שָׁמִיר (
shamiyr) meaning "thorn, briar, thistle" or "flint, diamond, emery, adamant". It was borne by the Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Shamir (1915-2012), whose birth name was either Yitzhak Yezernitsky or Icchak Jaziernicki.
Shan ChineseFrom the place name Shan. Cheng Wang, the second king (1115–1079 bc) of the Zhou dynasty, granted to a son the area of Shan, and the son’s descendants adopted the place name as their surname. It comes from the Chinese word meaning "mountain"... [
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Shan ChineseFrom Chinese 单
(shàn) referring to the ancient state of Shan, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Henan province.
Shandera Czech (Anglicized, Modern)Shandera is anglicized for Šandera, a patronymic for Alexander (son of Alexander), the euiqvalent of Sandoor in Hungarian or Sanders in English.
Shandy English (Rare)Shandy appears as a rare surname, mostly found in English-speaking countries going back to the 1600s. This name may originate from the English dialect adjective meaning "boisterous" or "empty headed; half crazy", of which the earliest record dates to 1691, though any further explanation for its origins are unknown... [
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Shankland ScottishBelieved to be a locational name derived from a now-lost or unidentified place name. The name is composed of the Old Scots term "schank," meaning "a projecting point of a hill" or "spur," and the suffix "-land," which indicates land or territory.
Shao ChineseFrom Chinese 邵
(shào) referring to the ancient fief of Zhao, which existed during the Shang dynasty in what is now Shaanxi province. The name of the fief, 召, had the same pronunciation as the character 邵.
Shao ChineseFrom Chinese 韶
(sháo) possibly referring to the ancient town of Shao that existed during the Sui dynasty in what is now Guangdong province.
Sharafkandi KurdishDenoted a person from
Sharafkand, a village in the Central District of Bukan County, West Azerbaijan province, Iran.
Sharett HebrewMeans "minister, servant", from Hebrew שָׁרַת (
sharath) literally meaning "to minister, to serve". This surname was adopted by Moshe Sharett (1894-1965), born Moshe Chertok, who was the first foreign minister and later the second Prime Minister of Israel.
Shariati PersianFrom Persian شریعت
(shari'at) referring to Islamic (shari'a) law, ultimately from Arabic.
Shariy Ukrainian, RussianLast name of Anatoly Shariy, the leader of Party of Shariy, a Ukrainian political party that was shut down due to alleged ties to Russia.
Sharon HebrewFrom an Old Testament place name, in Hebrew שָׁרוֹן (Sharon), which means "plain", referring to the fertile plain near the coast of Israel.
Sharpton EnglishHabitational name from Sharperton in Northumberland, possibly so named from Old English
scearp "steep" and
beorg "hill", "mound" and
tun "settlement".
Shastri Hindi, MarathiFrom a title meaning "scholar", itself derived from Sanskrit शास्त्रिन्
(shastrin) denoting a person who was well-versed in the shastras.
Shatner German (Anglicized), Jewish (Anglicized)Anglicized form of
Schattner. A notable bearer was Canadian actor William Shatner (1931-), who is known for his roles as Captain James T. Kirk in 'Star Trek', T.J. Hooker in 'T.J. Hooker', Denny Crane in 'Boston Legal', and the Priceline Negotiator in Priceline.com commercials.
Shattuck EnglishA locational name from a family in Chaddock, a hamlet in the parish in Lancashire, England. Also a variant of
Chadwick.