Sebastian
Latin Sebastianus, meaning from Sebaste, a city whose Greek name sebastos meant venerable or revered. A third-century martyr made it widely known.
Sebastian in 2025
Sebastian was given to 8,615 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 25th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 385 babies born.
The history of Sebastian
Sebastian reached its highest point in 2016, when 10,325 babies were given the name, ranking 40th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 21st, in 2022.
Across the 145 years of records since 1881, 218,463 babies have been named Sebastian. Half of them were born before 2014, which places the name's centre of gravity with Generation Alpha.
Sebastian by decade
| Decade | Babies named Sebastian | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 34 | 1,232 |
| 1890s | 43 | 1,562 |
| 1900s | 89 | 1,724 |
| 1910s | 838 | 1,067 |
| 1920s | 1,231 | 1,109 |
| 1930s | 774 | 1,192 |
| 1940s | 574 | 1,578 |
| 1950s | 500 | 2,205 |
| 1960s | 1,113 | 1,467 |
| 1970s | 1,413 | 1,359 |
| 1980s | 2,856 | 867 |
| 1990s | 14,664 | 288 |
| 2000s | 54,001 | 107 |
| 2010s | 86,811 | 28 |
| 2020s | 53,522 | 21 |
Where Sebastian is heading
Sebastian has fallen 11% over the past decade, from 9,653 babies in 2015 to 8,615 in 2025.
Names like Sebastian
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Sebastian.