Sebastian
Sebastian was the 16th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 8,605 babies. Its best year was 2022, when it ranked 13th; the most babies were born in 2016 (10,309). Over the last ten years it has moved up 19 places. More babies were named Sebastian in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning from Sebaste; 'venerable' · Latin, Ancient Greek
Say it suh-BAS-chun /səˈbæstʃən/
- Rank in 2025
- #16 boys, up 3 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 8,605boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 201610,309 babies
- Total since 1880
- 218,463babies recorded
What does the name Sebastian mean?
Sebastian comes from Latin Sebastianus, 'of Sebaste'. Sebaste was a city in Asia Minor, modern Sivas in Turkey. Its name comes from Greek sebastos, 'venerable', the Greek translation of the Roman title Augustus. A 3rd-century martyr bore the name, as did a 16th-century king of Portugal.
σεβαστός (Ancient Greek, “venerable, august”)
How sure is this? Well established.
See also: Greek names, names from places.
Nicknames for Sebastian
The usual nicknames for Sebastian are Seb, Bash and Bastian. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Sebastian in the last five years, 2 were named Bastian, against fewer than 1 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seb | Modern | — | — |
| Bash | Modern | — | — |
| Bastian | Modern | #1,021 | 955 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Sebastians go by each one.
Sebastian popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 408 since 1980, 10 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #16 | 8,605 |
| 2020 | #19 | 9,029 |
| 2010 | #68 | 6,366 |
| 2000 | #81 | 5,029 |
| 1990 | #320 | 790 |
| 1980 | #669 | 168 |
| 1970 | #633 | 165 |
| 1960 | #915 | 69 |
| 1950 | #1,103 | 42 |
| 1940 | #889 | 51 |
| 1930 | #568 | 113 |
| 1920 | #520 | 139 |
| 1910 | #855 | 14 |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Sebastian, counting every spelling?
Sebastian is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #18 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #16 for Sebastian on its own. Together these spellings went to 8,610 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sebastian | 8,605 | #16 | 44,425 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Sebastian?
8,605 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Sebastian (2.39 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Sebastian born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is about 1 in 23. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, a typical elementary school of 430 pupils would have about 1.0 children named Sebastian.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Sebastian?
About 211,700 people born in the US named Sebastian are alive today, with a median age of 12; half are between 6 and 20. That makes Sebastian a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Sebastian by state
How common Sebastian was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Nevada (2.1×), California (2.1×), New Mexico (1.9×), Arizona (1.8×), Texas (1.7×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Mississippi, New Hampshire, Ohio.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Sebastian: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Sebastian, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Sebastian · Sibling names for Sebastian
Questions about the name Sebastian
What does Sebastian mean?
Sebastian means “from Sebaste; 'venerable'” (Latin, Ancient Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Sebastian?
Sebastian was the 16th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 8,605 babies. Its best year was 2022, when it ranked 13th; the most babies were born in 2016 (10,309). Over the last ten years it has moved up 19 places. More babies were named Sebastian in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Sebastian a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Sebastian in the US.
Where is Sebastian most popular?
In 2021–2025, Sebastian was most common in Nevada (10.98 per 1,000 boys), followed by California and New Mexico.