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    The first name Sebastian

    A boy’s name from Latin meaning “august”, “venerable”, “exalted”.

    Pronounced /səˈbæst͡ʃən/ 3 syllables Male Also a surname

    Meaning and origin

    Latin origin

    Sebastian means “august”, “venerable”, “exalted” in Latin.

    From Latin Sebastiānus, name of an early Christian saint, from ancient city of Sebaste in Asia Minor (modern Sivas, Turkey), from Ancient Greek Σεβαστός (Sebastós, “august, venerable, exalted”), itself a translation of the Roman title Augustus.

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 1,077 boys were named Sebastian, making it the 47th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2016, with 1,990 births (#36).

    01,0002,000 1996200020052010201520202025
    34,085
    babies named Sebastian, 1996–2025
    #47
    rank in 2025
    2016
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Sebastian with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Sebastian at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 8,605 boys born in the United States were named Sebastian, the 16th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2016, when 10,309 were.

    010,00020,000 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    218,463
    babies named Sebastian since 1880
    #16
    rank in 2025
    2016
    peak year

    US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

    Sebastian in other languages

    Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary

    Себастиан
    Sebastian
    Bulgarian, also Себастиян, Себастян
    Sebastià
    Catalan
    塞巴斯蒂安
    Sàibāsīdì'ān
    Chinese
    Šebestián
    Czech
    Sebastiaan
    Dutch
    Sebastiano
    Esperanto
    Sébastien
    French
    Σεβαστιανός
    Sevastianós
    Greek
    Sebestyén
    Hungarian
    Sebastiano
    Italian
    Sebastião
    Portuguese
    Севастья́н
    Sevastʹján
    Russian, also Севастиа́н, Себастья́н
    Sebastián
    Spanish

    Spelled Sebastian in Danish, German, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian and Swedish too.

    Nicknames and spellings

    Nicknames for Sebastian

    Famous people named Sebastian

    219 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Johann Sebastian Bach
      German composer (1685–1750)
    • Sebastián Piñera
      Chilean entrepreneur and politician (1949–2024)
    • Sebastian Kurz
      Chancellor of Austria (2017–2019, 2020–2021)
    • Saint Sebastian
      Christian saint and martyr (256–288)
    • Juan Sebastián Elcano
      Castillian Basque sailor, explorer, and circumnavigator with the Magellan Expedition, 1486–1526
    • Sebastian Coe
      British athlete and politician (born 1956)
    • Sebastian Kehl
      German association football player, born 1980
    • Sebastian Brant
      German humanist and satirist (1458-1521)
    • Sebastian Rudy
      German association football player, born 1990
    • Sebastian Rode
      German association football player, born 1990
    • Sebastian Prödl
      Austrian association football player, born 1987
    • Sebastian Münster
      German cartographer, cosmographer, and scholar (1488–1552)

    More Latin boys’ names

    All 381 names of Latin origin

    Questions

    What does the name Sebastian mean?
    Sebastian means “august”, “venerable”, “exalted” in Latin.
    What is the origin of the name Sebastian?
    From Latin Sebastiānus, name of an early Christian saint, from ancient city of Sebaste in Asia Minor (modern Sivas, Turkey), from Ancient Greek Σεβαστός (Sebastós, “august, venerable, exalted”), itself a translation of the Roman title Augustus.
    How popular is the name Sebastian?
    In 2025, 1,077 boys born in England and Wales were named Sebastian, ranking 47th. Its peak was 2016, with 1,990 births.
    What are nicknames for Sebastian?
    Common nicknames for Sebastian include Bash, Seb, Bastian.
    Is Sebastian a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 218,463 US babies named Sebastian since 1880 were boys.
    When was Sebastian most popular?
    2016 in the United States, when 10,309 babies were named Sebastian, its highest rank at 23rd.
    How do you pronounce Sebastian?
    Sebastian is /səˈbæst͡ʃən/, 3 syllables.
    Is Sebastian also a surname?
    Yes. Sebastian is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.