Nameling

Sebastian

Gender
Boy
Say it
se-BAS-tee-an
Origin
Greek
UK rank, 2025
#49 for boys
US rank, 2025
#16 for boys

Classic

Sebastian is a boys' name of Greek origin, meaning “venerable”. In 2025 it ranked 49th for boys in the UK (1,120 babies) and 16th for boys in the US (8,605 babies).

What does Sebastian mean?

Greek: via Latin Sebastianus

“venerable”

St Sebastian, an early Christian martyr, is often painted bound to a post and pierced by arrows.

More on Wiktionary.

Is Sebastian a girl's or a boy's name?

Sebastian is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 1,120 boys in the UK and 10 girls and 8,605 boys in the US.

How popular is Sebastian in the UK?

Rank in 2025
#49among boys
Babies in 2025
1,120about 1 in 270 boys
Five-year trend
Fallingdown 31% in five years
Same name in a class
5.1%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 1,120 boys in the UK were named Sebastian, making it the 49th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 43rd. Its busiest year was 2016, with 2,084 boys.

It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 4 years. 2025 had fewer boys named Sebastian than any year since 2009.

Half of all the boys named Sebastian in the UK since 1996 were born between 2010 and 2019, the years shaded on the chart below.

Among boys in 2025, it was 47th in England and Wales, 152nd in Scotland and 159th in Northern Ireland.

In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 2004 (#90), 2014 (#38) and 2024 (#45).

1996Busiest: 2,084 in 20162025
Sebastian in the UK, year by year
YearBoysRank
20251,120#49
20241,174#46
20231,382#44
20221,480#42
20211,569#42
20201,509#43
20191,759#39
20182,049#29
20171,963#37
20162,084#36
20152,074#37
20142,058#39
20131,900#39
20121,787#45
20111,567#52
20101,310#63
20091,119#69
2008959#85
2007829#95
2006744#100
2005711#99
2004659#99
2003652#97
2002555#102
2001447#116
2000427#122
1999434#123
1998427#124
1997403#122
1996408#120

How popular is Sebastian in the US?

Rank in 2025
#16among boys
Babies in 2025
8,605about 1 in 200 boys
Five-year trend
Steadydown 10% in five years
Same name in a class
6.8%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 8,605 boys in the US were named Sebastian, making it the 16th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 19th. Its busiest year was 2016, with 10,309 boys. It first appears in the records in 1881. 10 girls were also named Sebastian in 2025 (9,454th for girls).

Half of all the boys named Sebastian in the US since 1880 were born between 2006 and 2019, the years shaded on the chart below.

1881Busiest: 10,309 in 20162025
Sebastian in the US, year by year
YearBoysRank
20258,605#16
20248,593#14
20238,892#13
20229,403#13
20218,932#19
20209,029#19
20199,884#18
201810,137#18
201710,197#23
201610,309#23
20159,632#35
20149,315#34
20137,553#46
20126,744#64
20116,551#68
20106,366#68
20095,993#70
20086,041#74
20076,274#73
20066,287#76
20054,956#86
20044,521#97
20034,649#93
20025,137#80
20014,979#81
20005,029#81
19992,378#152
19981,697#198
19971,768#189
19961,590#195
19951,435#206
19941,304#222
19931,308#226
19921,296#229
19911,033#262
1990790#320
1989522#408
1988397#455
1987354#469
1986281#528
1985288#515
1984242#554
1983192#617
1982220#579
1981175#642
1980168#665
1979137#739
1978143#700
1977120#778
1976124#746
1975127#736
1974125#728
1973129#707
1972155#635
1971188#607
1970165#630
1969116#723
1968116#699
1967115#692
196699#740
1965104#731
1964129#679
1963109#740
1962151#629
1961105#750
196069#910
195953#1,060
195863#955
195750#1,074
195642#1,170
195556#1,001
195447#1,095
195352#998
195251#1,001
195144#1,082
195042#1,085
194951#966
194870#812
194756#937
194655#890
194547#943
194447#935
194360#856
194277#732
194160#817
194051#881
193953#836
193865#757
193762#781
193665#747
193579#670
193481#673
193375#685
193287#651
193194#611
1930113#564
192997#615
1928128#537
1927104#610
1926131#528
1925108#608
1924137#543
1923130#535
1922127#565
1921130#546
1920139#519
1919126#530
1918114#568
1917122#522
1916134#491
1915112#525
191482#543
191363#545
191251#561
191120#707
191014#822
190914#756
190815#685
190712#778
19065#1,252
190510#786
19049#810
190311#696
19025#1,136
19018#778
19000–
18996#927
18988#803
18970–
18965#1,100
18958#794
18945#1,073
18930–
189211#640
18910–
18900–
18896#878
18880–
18870–
18867#758
18855#935
18840–
18830–
188210#611
18816#780

Nicknames for Sebastian

Names like Sebastian

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Lucas Mason Elijah Austin Hudson Harrison Gabriel Sonny Roman Grayson Zachary Isaac

Other spellings of Sebastian

Sebastien Sebastion

Names related to Sebastian

Sebastiano Sabastian Sebastain Zebastian Sebasthian Sebashtian

More Greek names

Luca Theodore Sophia George Theo Sofia Alexander Penelope Phoebe Margot Luke Chloe Sophie Zoe Iris Maisie

Every Greek name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Sebastian: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/sebastian, updated 20 October 2026.