Boy · #15 in 2026

Sebastian

Sebastian or Sebastiæn is both a given name and a surname.

Current Rank
#15
Peak Rank
#13 (2016)
Total Babies
227K
5-Yr Trend
-8%
1980
First Year
2026
Last Year
2004
Peak Year
#5062
Peak Rank
436
Total Count
38
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Sebastian

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Sebastian or Sebastiæn is both a given name and a surname.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Origin & history
It comes from the Greek name Sebastianos (Σεβαστιανός) meaning "from Sebastia" (Σεβάστεια), which was the name of the city now known as Sivas , located in the central portion of what is now Turkey; in Western Europe the name comes through the Latinized intermediary Sebastianus. It was a name of ancient Greek origin, given to children not born free and found on the streets of Sebastia. The name of the city is derived from the Greek word σεβαστός ( sebastos ), "venerable", which comes from σέβας sebas , "awe, reverence, dread", in turn from the verb σέβομαι ( sebomai ), "feel awe, scruple, be as

The Story of Sebastian

Sebastian first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1881, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2016, when 10,308 Sebastians were born — ranking #23 that year. As of 2026, Sebastian ranks #15 for baby boys with 8,646 births, gradually falling (-8%). In total, more than 227K Sebastians have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Sebastian

Phonetically similar names — useful when Sebastian is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

  • Sebastion
  • Sebastiane
  • Sebastien
  • Sibson
  • Submission
  • Suboxone
  • Sabean
  • Sabbatia
  • Subregion
  • Sabaism
  • Sublation
  • Sebesta

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Sebastian

What does the name Sebastian mean?
Sebastian or Sebastiæn is both a given name and a surname.
How popular is Sebastian in 2026?
In 2026, Sebastian ranks #15 among boys' names in the U.S., with 8,646 babies given the name that year.
When was Sebastian most popular?
Sebastian reached its peak popularity in 2016, ranking #13 that year with 10,308 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Sebastian most popular?
Sebastian has historically been most popular in Puerto Rico, California, Arizona. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Sebastian.
Is Sebastian a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Sebastian is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Sebastian?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Sebastian include Kenneth, Eric, Arthur. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

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About the name Sebastian

Sebastian is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1881 and has accumulated 227K births in the dataset. Sebastian's peak popularity came in 2016 when it ranked #13. Use the chart and map above to compare Sebastian's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.