At a glance
- In short
- Sebastian means from Sebaste, the ancient city whose name comes from a Greek word for revered.
- U.S. rank 2025
- #16 of boy names
- Babies in 2025
- 8,605 (0.47% of boys)
- Trend
- Steady #19 in 2020 to #16 in 2025
- Peak
- #13 in 2022–2023
- Top state
- #5 in 2 states
- First recorded
- 1881
Meaning of Sebastian
Sebastian comes from the Latin Sebastianus, itself from the Greek Sebastianos, meaning from Sebaste, an ancient city in Asia Minor and the site of modern Sivas in Turkey. The place name derives from sebastos, meaning venerable or revered, the Greek equivalent of the Latin augustus. Name dictionaries agree on this origin, and the name carries no meaning beyond its link to the city.
British English says se-BAS-chuhn; American English says suh-BAS-chuhn.
Its best-known association is Saint Sebastian, the Roman soldier said to have been martyred by arrows, a patron of athletes and a frequent subject in European painting. Shakespeare gave the name to characters in Twelfth Night and The Tempest. Modern namesakes include Sebastian Vettel, the four-time Formula One world champion, and Sebastian Coe, the Olympic middle-distance runner who later led the sport's governing body.
In the United States the name has travelled from the margins of the lists to their upper reaches. It was given to 790 boys in 1990, when it ranked 320th. It climbed to 13th in 2022 and 2023, and in 2025 it ranked 16th, with 8,605 babies named Sebastian.
How to pronounce Sebastian
American English
- Pronounced suh-BAS-chuhn /sə.ˈbæs.tʃən/
British English
- Pronounced se-BAS-chuhn /sɪ.ˈbæs.tʃən/
Popularity of Sebastian in the U.S.
Sebastian was the #16 boy name in the U.S. in 2025, with 8,605 babies. It peaked at #13 in 2022–2023 and has been in the top 100 since 2000. It first appears in the records in 1881.
- Rank among U.S. boy names (right scale, #1 at the top)
Year-by-year table, 1881–2025 136 rows
| Year | Babies | Rank | vs previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8,605 | 16 | ▼ 2 |
| 2024 | 8,593 | 14 | ▼ 1 |
| 2023 | 8,892 | 13 | – |
| 2022 | 9,403 | 13 | ▲ 6 |
| 2021 | 8,932 | 19 | – |
| 2020 | 9,029 | 19 | ▼ 1 |
| 2019 | 9,884 | 18 | – |
| 2018 | 10,137 | 18 | ▲ 5 |
| 2017 | 10,197 | 23 | – |
| 2016 | 10,309 | 23 | ▲ 12 |
| 2015 | 9,632 | 35 | ▼ 1 |
| 2014 | 9,315 | 34 | ▲ 12 |
| 2013 | 7,553 | 46 | ▲ 18 |
| 2012 | 6,744 | 64 | ▲ 4 |
| 2011 | 6,551 | 68 | – |
| 2010 | 6,366 | 68 | ▲ 2 |
| 2009 | 5,993 | 70 | ▲ 4 |
| 2008 | 6,041 | 74 | ▼ 1 |
| 2007 | 6,274 | 73 | ▲ 3 |
| 2006 | 6,287 | 76 | ▲ 10 |
| 2005 | 4,956 | 86 | ▲ 11 |
| 2004 | 4,521 | 97 | ▼ 4 |
| 2003 | 4,649 | 93 | ▼ 13 |
| 2002 | 5,137 | 80 | ▲ 1 |
| 2001 | 4,979 | 81 | – |
| 2000 | 5,029 | 81 | ▲ 71 |
| 1999 | 2,378 | 152 | ▲ 46 |
| 1998 | 1,697 | 198 | ▼ 9 |
| 1997 | 1,768 | 189 | ▲ 6 |
| 1996 | 1,590 | 195 | ▲ 11 |
| 1995 | 1,435 | 206 | ▲ 16 |
| 1994 | 1,304 | 222 | ▲ 4 |
| 1993 | 1,308 | 226 | ▲ 3 |
| 1992 | 1,296 | 229 | ▲ 33 |
| 1991 | 1,033 | 262 | ▲ 58 |
| 1990 | 790 | 320 | ▲ 88 |
| 1989 | 522 | 408 | ▲ 47 |
| 1988 | 397 | 455 | ▲ 14 |
| 1987 | 354 | 469 | ▲ 59 |
| 1986 | 281 | 528 | ▼ 13 |
| 1985 | 288 | 515 | ▲ 39 |
| 1984 | 242 | 554 | ▲ 63 |
| 1983 | 192 | 617 | ▼ 38 |
| 1982 | 220 | 579 | ▲ 63 |
| 1981 | 175 | 642 | ▲ 23 |
| 1980 | 168 | 665 | ▲ 74 |
| 1979 | 137 | 739 | ▼ 39 |
| 1978 | 143 | 700 | ▲ 78 |
| 1977 | 120 | 778 | ▼ 32 |
| 1976 | 124 | 746 | ▼ 10 |
| 1975 | 127 | 736 | ▼ 8 |
| 1974 | 125 | 728 | ▼ 21 |
| 1973 | 129 | 707 | ▼ 72 |
| 1972 | 155 | 635 | ▼ 28 |
| 1971 | 188 | 607 | ▲ 23 |
| 1970 | 165 | 630 | ▲ 93 |
| 1969 | 116 | 723 | ▼ 24 |
| 1968 | 116 | 699 | ▼ 7 |
| 1967 | 115 | 692 | ▲ 48 |
| 1966 | 99 | 740 | ▼ 9 |
| 1965 | 104 | 731 | ▼ 52 |
| 1964 | 129 | 679 | ▲ 61 |
| 1963 | 109 | 740 | ▼ 111 |
| 1962 | 151 | 629 | ▲ 122 |
| 1961 | 105 | 751 | ▲ 160 |
| 1960 | 69 | 911 | ▲ 150 |
| 1959 | 53 | 1,061 | ▼ 105 |
| 1958 | 63 | 956 | ▲ 119 |
| 1957 | 50 | 1,075 | ▲ 96 |
| 1956 | 42 | 1,171 | ▼ 169 |
| 1955 | 56 | 1,002 | ▲ 94 |
| 1954 | 47 | 1,096 | ▼ 97 |
| 1953 | 52 | 999 | ▲ 3 |
| 1952 | 51 | 1,002 | ▲ 81 |
| 1951 | 44 | 1,083 | ▲ 3 |
| 1950 | 42 | 1,086 | ▼ 119 |
| 1949 | 51 | 967 | ▼ 154 |
| 1948 | 70 | 813 | ▲ 125 |
| 1947 | 56 | 938 | ▼ 48 |
| 1946 | 55 | 890 | ▲ 53 |
| 1945 | 47 | 943 | ▼ 8 |
| 1944 | 47 | 935 | ▼ 79 |
| 1943 | 60 | 856 | ▼ 124 |
| 1942 | 77 | 732 | ▲ 85 |
| 1941 | 60 | 817 | ▲ 64 |
| 1940 | 51 | 881 | ▼ 45 |
| 1939 | 53 | 836 | ▼ 79 |
| 1938 | 65 | 757 | ▲ 24 |
| 1937 | 62 | 781 | ▼ 34 |
| 1936 | 65 | 747 | ▼ 77 |
| 1935 | 79 | 670 | ▲ 3 |
| 1934 | 81 | 673 | ▲ 12 |
| 1933 | 75 | 685 | ▼ 34 |
| 1932 | 87 | 651 | ▼ 40 |
| 1931 | 94 | 611 | ▼ 47 |
| 1930 | 113 | 564 | ▲ 51 |
| 1929 | 97 | 615 | ▼ 78 |
| 1928 | 128 | 537 | ▲ 73 |
| 1927 | 104 | 610 | ▼ 82 |
| 1926 | 131 | 528 | ▲ 80 |
| 1925 | 108 | 608 | ▼ 65 |
| 1924 | 137 | 543 | ▼ 8 |
| 1923 | 130 | 535 | ▲ 30 |
| 1922 | 127 | 565 | ▼ 19 |
| 1921 | 130 | 546 | ▼ 27 |
| 1920 | 139 | 519 | ▲ 11 |
| 1919 | 126 | 530 | ▲ 38 |
| 1918 | 114 | 568 | ▼ 46 |
| 1917 | 122 | 522 | ▼ 31 |
| 1916 | 134 | 491 | ▲ 34 |
| 1915 | 112 | 525 | ▲ 18 |
| 1914 | 82 | 543 | ▲ 2 |
| 1913 | 63 | 545 | ▲ 16 |
| 1912 | 51 | 561 | ▲ 146 |
| 1911 | 20 | 707 | ▲ 115 |
| 1910 | 14 | 822 | ▼ 66 |
| 1909 | 14 | 756 | ▼ 71 |
| 1908 | 15 | 685 | ▲ 93 |
| 1907 | 12 | 778 | ▲ 475 |
| 1906 | 5 | 1,253 | ▼ 467 |
| 1905 | 10 | 786 | ▲ 24 |
| 1904 | 9 | 810 | ▼ 114 |
| 1903 | 11 | 696 | ▲ 441 |
| 1902 | 5 | 1,137 | ▼ 358 |
| 1901 | 8 | 779 | back (not recorded in 1900) |
| 1899 | 6 | 928 | ▼ 124 |
| 1898 | 8 | 804 | back (not recorded in 1897) |
| 1896 | 5 | 1,101 | ▼ 306 |
| 1895 | 8 | 795 | ▲ 279 |
| 1894 | 5 | 1,074 | back (not recorded in 1893) |
| 1892 | 11 | 641 | back (not recorded in 1890–1891) |
| 1889 | 6 | 878 | back (not recorded in 1887–1888) |
| 1886 | 7 | 758 | ▲ 178 |
| 1885 | 5 | 936 | back (not recorded in 1883–1884) |
| 1882 | 10 | 611 | ▲ 170 |
| 1881 | 6 | 781 | new |
Sebastian by state
Sebastian ranks #5 in California and Texas and is in the top 10 in 6 states (2025).
Rank by state 50 states and DC
| State | Rank | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| California | 5 | 1,954 |
| Texas | 5 | 1,498 |
| Nevada | 6 | 106 |
| New Mexico | 6 | 69 |
| Arizona | 7 | 277 |
| Illinois | 10 | 360 |
| Florida | 15 | 602 |
| Oregon | 15 | 103 |
| District of Columbia | 18 | 25 |
| Colorado | 22 | 160 |
| Rhode Island | 22 | 25 |
| Delaware | 25 | 23 |
| New Jersey | 28 | 217 |
| Washington | 28 | 170 |
| Oklahoma | 28 | 95 |
| Kansas | 31 | 76 |
| Georgia | 32 | 220 |
| Utah | 35 | 95 |
| Connecticut | 36 | 78 |
| North Carolina | 37 | 231 |
| Arkansas | 37 | 61 |
| Wyoming | 39 | 10 |
| South Carolina | 43 | 91 |
| Wisconsin | 46 | 101 |
| New York | 47 | 330 |
| Indiana | 47 | 130 |
| Hawaii | 49 | 16 |
| Virginia | 50 | 149 |
| Louisiana | 50 | 70 |
| Idaho | 50 | 36 |
| Massachusetts | 52 | 108 |
| Alaska | 53 | 13 |
| Missouri | 61 | 95 |
| Maryland | 62 | 86 |
| Alabama | 66 | 69 |
| Minnesota | 68 | 85 |
| Nebraska | 69 | 33 |
| Tennessee | 70 | 122 |
| Pennsylvania | 77 | 155 |
| North Dakota | 77 | 14 |
| Kentucky | 79 | 63 |
| Vermont | 80 | 6 |
| Ohio | 82 | 140 |
| Michigan | 83 | 109 |
| Montana | 85 | 14 |
| Mississippi | 86 | 31 |
| Iowa | 108 | 35 |
| Maine | 113 | 12 |
| South Dakota | 116 | 11 |
| West Virginia | 127 | 15 |
| New Hampshire | 130 | 11 |
| U.S. territories | ||
| Puerto Rico | 5 | 129 |
Notable people named Sebastian
- Sebastian Vettel is a German former Formula One driver who won four consecutive world titles with Red Bull from 2010 to 2013 and 53 Grands Prix, becoming the youngest world champion.
- Sebastian Coe is a British former middle distance runner who won four Olympic medals including 1500m golds in 1980 and 1984, set multiple world records, later became a sports administrator and politician, and famously rivaled Steve Ovett and Steve Cram.
- Sebastian Bach is a Canadian American singer best known as the lead singer of Skid Row from 1987 to 1996, later appearing on Broadway and in film and television, and he continues as a solo artist.
- Sebastian Carmine Ingrosso is a Swedish DJ and record producer, best known as a member of Swedish House Mafia with Axwell and Steve Angello.
- Sebastian Karlsson, known as Sebastian, is a Swedish singer who was runner up on Idol 2005 and had a 2006 radio hit with his debut single Do what youre told.
More people named Sebastian 4 more
- Sebastián Yatra is a Colombian singer known for romantic lyrics that blend traditional lyricism with modern reggaeton, who rose to prominence in Latin America with the 2016 hit "Traicionera".
- Sebastián Andrés Beccacece (born 17 December 1980) is an Argentine professional football manager who last served as head coach of the Ecuador national team.
- Sebastián Soria is a Uruguayan-born Qatari professional footballer and striker who has represented Qatar since 2007 and was shortlisted for Asian Footballer of the Year in 2008.
- Sebastian Stan is a Romanian-born American actor best known for playing Bucky Barnes the Winter Soldier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including Captain America The First Avenger, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Thunderbolts.