250 Strong Last Names That Start With S: With Meanings

80 Traditional Last Names That Start With S

These common surnames starting with S run the gamut from the super popular to the common.

1. Saavedra – a Galician-Spanish surname meaning “old hall,” associated with Salavieja.
2. Saenz – a patronymic Spanish and Basque surname meaning “son of Sancho” or “son of Santo.”
3. Sajjad – derived from the Arabic “masjid,” meaning “mosque,” combined with a person who worships in one.
4. Salazar – means “old hall” after the town of Salazar in Castile, Spain.
5. Saleh – means “pious” in Arabic and is a very popular first name for Muslim boys.
6. Salvador – given to “one from Salvador, Spain” or a “descendent of Salvador,” meaning “pious.”
7. Samaras – a Greek surname meaning “saddler,” composed of “samari,” meaning “saddle,” and “-as,” for an occupation.
8. Samuelson – a common English surname for a “son of Samuel,” also appearing as the Swedish Samuelsson.
9. Sandberg – made up of the Swedish “sand,” meaning “sand,” and “berg,” meaning “mountain” or “hill.”
10. Sanders – means “son of Alexander,” based on the Greek Alexandros, meaning “man’s defender.”
11. Sandoval – composed of the Latin “saltus,” meaning “grove,” and “novalis,” meaning “newly cleared land.”
12. Sandström – means “sandstream” in Swedish based on “sand,” meaning “sand,” and “ström,” meaning “river.”
13. Santana – taken from the town of Santa Ana, Spain, inspired by St. Anne, the mother of the Virgin Mary.
14. Santiago – means “St. James,” after the saint buried in the Iberian Peninsula.
15. Santos – from the Latin “sanctus,” meaning “holy,” ranked second in Portugal in 2014.
16. Sarkar – an Indian title given to East Indian landlords from the Persian “sarkār,” meaning “chief.”
17. Savage – from the French “sauvage,” meaning “untamed,” and the Latin “salvaticus,” meaning “man of the woods.”
18. Sawyer – an Old English occupational surname for someone who saws wood or timber.
19. Schaefer – means “shepherd” and derives from the German Schaffer, meaning “bailiff.”
20. Scherer – a German occupational surname for a “sheep-shearer,” from “scheren,” meaning “to shear.”
21. Schmidt – one of many last names that start with S, meaning “blacksmith,” from the German “schmied.”
22. Schumacher – a German and Jewish occupational name for a “shoemaker,” also used in Denmark and Sweden.
23. Schwab – denotes someone from Swabia and was used by Germans and Jews.
24. Schwein – for someone working as a “swineherd,” from the German “swīn,” meaning “hog.”
25. Scott – based on the Middle English “scot,” meaning a “man from Scotland.”
26. Sekh – taken from the Arabic “shaikh,” a title for a “spiritual or religious leader.”
27. Selassie – an Arabic surname and unisex name based in Ethiopia, meaning “trinity.”
28. Shaan – means “pride” in Sanskrit and is mostly used in Bangladesh.
29. Shah – a Persian title for a “king” and an Indian occupational surname meaning “merchant.”
30. Shariq – most common in Pakistan, where it’s a Muslim name meaning “rising from the East.”
31. Sharma – from the Sanskrit “ṣárman,” meaning “joyfulness” and “comfort,” also spelled Sarma.
32. Shaw – an Irish surname from the Gaelic personal name Sithech, meaning “wolf.”
33. Sheehan – an Anglo spelling of the Irish-Gaelic Ó’Síodhacháin, meaning “the peaceful one.”
34. Sheikh – popular among Bengali Muslims and based on the Arabic “shaykh,” meaning “elder.”
35. Shelton – composed of the Old English “scylf,” meaning “shelf,” and “tun,” meaning “settlement.”
36. Shen – a Mandarin-Chinese surname meaning “prudent” used for Chinese last names beginning with S.
37. Shepherd – an occupational surname from the Old English “sceap,” meaning “sheep” and “hierde,” for “herdsman.”
38. Sheridan – based on the Irish-Gaelic Ó’Sirideáin, meaning “descendant of Sirideáin.” meaning “to seek.”
39. Sherman – means “shearer” based on the Old English “scearra,” meaning “shears,” and “mann,” for “man.”
40. Shi – one of the nine Sogdian surnames, ranked 63rd among Chinese surnames in 2013.
41. Silva – a top Portuguese surname meaning “forest” or “woodland” in Latin.
42. Silvestri – means “descendant of Silvestro” in Italian, based on the Latin “silva,” meaning “wood.”
43. Simmons – comes from the Hebrew Simon/Shim’on, meaning “hearkening” or “listening.”
44. Simon – first appeared as the Hebrew Simeon, meaning “one who harkens.”
45. Simpson – given to a “descendant of Simon” using the diminutive Sim.
46. Sims – from Simme, a medieval version of Simon, meaning “he who hears” in Hebrew.
47. Singer – derives from the Middle English “singer(e),” meaning “cantor” or “reciter of verse.”
48. Singh – based on the Sanskrit “simha,” meaning “lion,” used by North Indian Hindus.
49. Singleton – “from Lancashire, England” from the Old English “scingol,” meaning “shingle” and “tūn,” meaning farmstead.”
50. Sizemore – taken from the Old French “sis,” meaning “six,” and “mars,” meaning “marks.”
51. Smirnov – based on the Russian nickname “smirnyj,” meaning “quiet” and “peaceful.”
52. Smith – the most common U.S. last name first given to a “blacksmith.”
53. Snyder – a version of the German Schneider and Dutch Sneijder, meaning “tailor.”
54. Söderberg – one of many Swedish last names that start with S, meaning “(south) hill.”
55. Sorenson – a Danish variation of the Norse Sørensen based on the Danish Severin.
56. Soroka – a unique 6-letter example of Slavic S last names meaning “magpie.”
57. Sorrentino – means “Sorrentinian” in Italian or “from Sorrento” in southern Italy.
58. Sosa – originally appeared as the Portuguese Sousa, a nickname meaning “seaweed.”
59. Spangler – a German occupational name for a “maker of buckles,” meaning “plumber.”
60. Spencer – based on the Middle English “spenser,” referring to a “steward” working in a royal household.
61. Spinelli – dates back to Naples in 1094 and means “little fishbone” or “little thorn.”
62. Spiva – another form of the English Spivey, possibly a name for a “cantor.”
63. Stanley – an Old English place name composed of “stān,” meaning “stone” and “lēah,” meaning “woodland clearing.”
64. Stark – a nickname based on the Old English “strearc,” meaning “strong.”
65. Stefka – a Czech and Slovak pet name for Štefan based on Stephen, meaning “crown.”
66. Stein – means “rock” in German for someone living on stony ground.
67. Stepanov – a Russian and Serbian surname taken from Stepan, meaning “belonging to Stephen.”
68. Stevens – for a “son or descendant of Stephen,” meaning “crown,” “wreath,” or “garland.”
69. Stewart – a famous Scottish clan surname based on the Old English “stigweard,” meaning “household guardian.”
70. Stockton – the name of many English towns, meaning “tree-stump settlement.”
71. Stone – derives from the Old English “stan,” meaning “stone” or “rock.”
72. Stroud – given to someone living near the marshy ground, taken from the Old English “strōd.”
73. Stubbs – a town in Yorkshire from the Old English “stubb,” for somewhere full of tree stumps.
74. Sullivan – an 8-letter version of the Gaelic Ó Súilleabháin, meaning “one-eyed” or “hawk-eyed.”
75. Sultan – taken from a Persian-Arabic title for a Muslim royal leader.
76. Sun – ranked 12th among 2019 Chinese surnames, inspired by the founders of the Zhou Dynasty.
77. Sundberg – from the Swedish “sund,” meaning “strait” or “sound,” and “berg,” meaning “mountain” or “hill.”
78. Sweeney – based on the Gaelic MacSuibhne, meaning “son of Suibhne,” a first name meaning “well-disposed.”
79. Swenson – means “Sven’s son,” ranked 9th among Swedish surnames in 2021.
80. Syed – also an Arabic boy’s name meaning “king,” “mister,” or “noble one.”

80 Unique Last Names That Start With S

You’ll find unique surnames starting with S below that you may or may not recognize.

1. Sabbatini – from the Italian “sabato,” meaning “Saturday,” and a plural form of Sabatino.
2. Sachdeva – from the Sanskrit “satya,” meaning “true,” and “deva,” meaning “lord.”
3. Sadberry – a geographical English surname based on Sadborow in Dorset or Sadbury Hill in Northumbria.
4. Sager – an occupational name for a “sawyer” based on the German “sägen,” meaning “to saw.”
5. Saint – from the Old French “sant,” meaning “saint” and a nickname for someone saintly.
6. Sake – from the Japanese “sake,” meaning “rice wine,” the national beverage of Japan.
7. Salgado – a Spanish nickname meaning “salty” for someone known for their “witt.”
8. Salinas – based on the Latin “salinae,” meaning “salt mine,” and place names in Central America.
9. Salisbury – originated as Searoburg, referring to the “fortress” at Old Sarum, England.
10. Salmi – a Finnish surname from “salmi,” meaning “strait,” made official in the 19th- and 20th centuries.
11. Sampson – means “sun” in Hebrew and is a French surname based on several locations.
12. Samuels – made up of the Hebrew “śāmū,” meaning “has placed” and “Ēl,” meaning “God.”
13. Sanborn – taken from the Old English “sand,” meaning “sand,” and “burna,” meaning “spring stream.”
14. Sanki – also “Sanakī,” a Hindi name for a “crazy” or “whimsical” person.”
15. Sape – for someone “living near a fir tree” from the Old English “sæppe.”
16. Sasser – a German derivative of “sasse,” meaning “Saxon” based on a location.
17. Sato – means “helpful” or “wisteria” in Japanese as a title for “reliable assistants.”
18. Sauda – a 5-letter surname, also a female name meaning “black” or “love” in Arabic.
19. Sayre – a Welsh occupational surname for a “woodworker taken from the Welsh “sayhare.”
20. Scanlon – an Anglo spelling for the patronymic Irish-Gaelic Ó’Scannláin, meaning “descendant of Scannlán.”
21. Scheuvront – appears as Cheuvront, a French Huguenot surname based on “chevron,” meaning “goat” or “rafter.”
22. Schkade – from the German “schaden,” meaning “to do damage,” as a nickname for a clumsy person.
23. Schoenhofer – is composed of the German “schoen,” meaning “beautiful,” and “hofer,” meaning “farm.”
24. Schulze – a Germanic medieval title for a “town mayor” taken from “schultheis.”
25. Schweitzer – a German nickname for someone from Switzerland derived from the Middle German “swizer.”
26. Sebesta – means “descendant of Šebastián” in Czech-Slovakian, from the Latin “sebastos,” meaning “revered.”
27. Secrease – an Americanized derivative for the German Siegrist, an occupational name meaning “churchwarden.”
28. Semere – also an African boy’s name meaning “farmer” or “it is done” in Eritrea.
29. Senkowski – a Polish version of Sękowski for those from places called Sękowo.
30. Shackleton – “from Shackleton,” based on the Old English “sceacol,” meaning “shackle,” and “tūn,” meaning “farmstead.”
31. Sharkey – an Anglo spelling of the Gaelic Ó’Searcaigh, meaning “descendant of Searcach,” also meaning “beloved.”
32. Shawhan – first used by the ancient Scottish Picts for someone with “wolf-like” qualities.
33. Shedden – from the Scottish “s(c)hed,” meaning “piece of land” or “large field.”
34. Shen – is a Chinese location and a Mandarin surname meaning “prudent.”
35. Sherrod – an English surname meaning “descendant of Scirheard or Sherwood,” meaning “bright” and “hard.”
36. Shreves – one of the oldest surnames starting with S in Great Britain, meaning “sheriff.”
37. Sifuentes – also spelled Cifuentes, meaning “what an abundance of glorious fountains.”
38. Silverblatt – an English spelling of the Jewish Silberblatt, meaning “silver leaf.”
39. Simich – an Americanized form of the Serbo-Croatian surname Simić, meaning “descendant of Simo.”
40. Simonich – based on the Hebrew “Sim’on” and means “God has listened.”
41. Simpkins – an Old English surname meaning “son of Simon” originating in Suffolk.
42. Sjerven – means “clearing in a forest” in Norwegian and is extremely rare worldwide.
43. Skalnik – a Czech word meaning “rockrunner,” also known as an African warbler bird.
44. Skibba – a Polish occupational name for a peasant from “skiba,” meaning “thin strip of land.”
45. Skipwith – derived from the Old English “sceap,” meaning “sheep,” and the Old Norse “vath,” meaning “fjord.”
46. Skogman – made up of the Swedish “skog,” meaning “grove,” “wood,” and “man.”
47. Skrzypczak – an occupational name for a “fiddle player” from the Polish “skrzypieć,” meaning “to creak or groan.”
48. Škubal – a Czech nickname based on “škubat,” meaning “to pluck feathers.”
49. Skyy – means “the sky” or “cloud” taken from Old Norse.
50. Slagg – refers to a “small valley” in Old English for a place “less steep.”
51. Smykowski – given to someone from Smyków, Poland, and also means “folk musician.”
52. Snedeker – means “carpenter” in Danish, associated with the German Schnittker, meaning “wood-carver.”
53. Snook – from the Old English “snoc,” meaning “promontory,” for a “projecting piece of land.”
54. Snowdon – a mountain name in Wales that also means “snow hill” in Old English.
55. Sohail – a Muslim name taken from the Arabic “suhail,” meaning “the Canopus star.”
56. Solorzano – means “plot” in Spanish and derives from the Latin “solarium,” meaning “bottom” or “ground.”
57. Somerled – also related to the Irish boy’s name Somerley, meaning “summer sailors.”
58. Spellman – an English variation of the German Spellmann, meaning “musician” or “minstrel.”
59. Spires – from the Old English “spir,” a nickname for a “slender” man.”
60. Sprengel – a nickname for a “lively” or “athletic” person from the Middle German “sprengel,” meaning “grasshopper.”
61. Spruill – someone “from Spreull” in Scotland; also means “one who walked in a jerky manner.”
62. Stahlberg – is composed of the Swedish “stål,” meaning “steel,” and “berg,” meaning “mountain.”
63. Stalker – an English occupational name for a “stalker of game” or nickname for a “stealthy walker.”
64. Stallworth – from the Old English “stæl-wyrpe” and a nickname for someone “stalwart” or “strong.”
65. Stankovic – a patronymic Slavic surname for a “son of Stanko,” meaning “standing in glory.”
66. Staten – part of the original Dutch Van Staten, a nickname from “staat,” meaning “standing rank.”
67. Stavropoulos – means “son of Stavros” and uses the Greek patronymic suffix “-poulos,” meaning “nestling.”
68. Stenz – a short form of the German Stanislav, meaning “son of Stenzel.”
69. Stolt – a German nickname derived from “stoltz,” meaning “proud,” a variation of the Danish Stolte.
70. Stoltzfus – composed of the German “stoltz,” means “proud” and “fus” means “foot.”
71. Stoneback – an Americanized spelling of the German Steinbeck or Swedish Stenbeck, meaning “stone stream.”
72. Stoney – given to those living near “rocky;” also means “stone rock island.”
73. Storck – “from Storkhill” in Yorkshire, England, related to the Norse “stork,” meaning “dried up land.”
74. Strauss – is the current German word for “ostrich,” originating in medieval Frankfurt.
75. Strawbridge – composed of the Old English “stōw,” meaning “holy place,” and “brycg,” meaning “bridge.”
76. Suh – lesser known among 3-letter S last names and a Korean variation of Sŏ, meaning “slow.”
77. Summers – is based on the Gaelic Ó’Somacháin, meaning “descendant of Somachán.”
78. Sundstrӧm – among Swedish last names that start with S. “Sund” means “strait,” and “ström” means “river.”
79. Swope – given to someone living in Swabia, a medieval dukedom in southwestern Germany.
80. Swords – also a first name based on the Old Norse Sigvarthr, meaning “victory keeper.”

90 Weird Last Names That Start With S

The most unusual and funny last names starting with S will entertain you.

1. Saap – a German and English surname from the Middle English “sap,” meaning “spruce tree.”
2. Sabat – a Spanish-Catalan nickname for someone born on a Saturday (the “sabbath”).
3. Sabbadin – associated with the Italian “sabato,” meaning “Saturday,” also appearing as Sabbatino.
4. Saccomanno – an occupational Italian surname for someone who transported army supplies or a knight’s personal servant.
5. Sack – a German occupational surname for a maker of sacks or bags.
6. Sackrider – from the German Sackreuter, a nickname for a “plunderer” based on the “sack,” meaning “bag.”
7. Sacksteder – given to someone from Sackstatt or Sackstedt, Germany, more common in France.
8. Sakurai – means “cherry blossom well” in Japanese and is found mainly in eastern Japan.
9. Salata – is an Italian derivative of “salare,” meaning “to salt,” given to someone living near salt water.
10. Sallow – from the Middle English “salwe,” for a “sallow” or “willow” tree.
11. Salt – an English nickname for a “salt seller” among many salt-based last names starting with S.
12. Saltaformaggio – one of the strangest Italian surnames meaning “jump the cheese.”
13. Samp – a derivative of the German Samm or the English Sampson.
14. Sampey – a variation of Simper linked to the Scottish Isle of Samphrey in the Yell Sound.
15. Sandemetrio – a Spanish surname for Saint Demetrio from the Latin Demetrius, meaning “follower of Demeter.”
16. Santagata – means “Saint Agatha,” also referred to as Agatha of Sicily.
17. Santy – an Old English surname for someone “living near or at a hill, stream, or tree.”
18. Šášek – a humorous Czech surname meaning everything from “clown” and “zany” to “buffoon.”
19. Sause – similar to “souse,” meaning “drunkard,” based on the Old French “saus,” meaning “willow.”
20. Schlepp – a nickname for a German laborer from the High German “slēpen,” meaning “to drag or carry.”
21. Schmuck – means “jewelry” in German but also a good way to call someone a “fool.”
22. Schuchard – based on the High German “schuochwürhte,” an occupational name meaning “shoemaker.”
23. Schulz – is composed of the German “sculd,” meaning “debt,” and “heiz(z)an,” meaning “to command.”
24. Schuring – a Dutch and German surname for someone “living near a barn or shed.”
25. Schwall – from the Middle German “swal,” meaning “place where water collects,” such as a locke.
26. Scovel – dates back to Scovel, Normandy in France, during the 11th century.
27. Scriven – an Old French title for a keeper of official trial records.
28. Seehafer – means “lakeside grasses” based on the Middle German “sē,” meaning “lake,” and “haver,” meaning “oats.”
29. Segreto – an Italian nickname meaning “confidant” from the Latin “secretum,” meaning “hidden place.”
30. Seisdedos – one of the strangest Spanish surnames meaning “a person with six fingers.”
31. Sekerak – a Slovak and Czech occupational surname for an “axman,” from “sekera,” meaning “ax.”
32. Selvaraj – composed of the Indian “selva,” meaning “wealth,” and “rāj,” meaning “king.”
33. Semler – means “baker of white rolls,” based on the Yiddish “zeml,” meaning “white bread roll.”
34. Serpico – from the Italian “serpe,” meaning “serpent” or “reptile,” and “from Sorbo Serpico.”
35. Servopoulos – a Greek nickname meaning “descendant of a Serb” based on “servo,” meaning “Serbian.”
36. Shakespeare – made up of the Old English “schakken,” meaning “to brandish,” and “speer,” meaning “spear.”
37. Shed – means “dweller at the hovel,” based on the Old English “scydd,” meaning “shed.”
38. Shek – a 4-letter Cantonese version of a Chinese surname meaning “one-hundred liters.”
39. Sheline – an Americanized form of the German Schühlein, an occupational name for a “shoemaker.”
40. Shellaberger – given to those “from Schellenberg, Germany” and also appears as Shellenberger.
41. Shuffield – an old place name for Sheffield, meaning “open land by the river Sheaf.”
42. Shufflebottom – also appears as Shovellbottom and Shoebottom to denote someone who lives “in a valley.”
43. Silasbierhals – means “beer-throat” in German as a nickname for a heavy drinker.
44. Sillie – derived from the Old English “saelig,” meaning “one who is happy and blessed.”
45. Sillman – an Americanized version of the German Sillmann, given to someone living “on a ridge.”
46. Sitko – a Polish surname that’s a diminutive of “sito,” meaning “fine sieve.”
47. Sivertsen – a Norwegian and Danish patronymic name meaning “son of Sivert,” meaning “victory guardian.”
48. Skehan – from the Gaelic MacSceacháin, meaning “descendant of Sceachán’,” from “sceach,” meaning “briar.”
49. Skóra – an occupational surname for a “tanner,” derived from the Polish “skóra,” meaning “leather.”
50. Slavík – means “nightingale” in Czech and also appears as the feminine Slavíková.
51. Sleeman – a nickname based on the Middle English “sle(i)gh,” meaning “sly,” “clever,” and “skillful.”
52. Smalley – made up of the Old English “smæl,” meaning “narrow,” and “lēah,” meaning “woodland clearing.”
53. Smellie – a Scottish nickname based on the Old English “smile,” meaning “grin.”
54. Smolak – a Slovenian-Croatian nickname from “smola,” meaning “resin” and “bad luck.”
55. Snellen – based on the Dutch “snel,” meaning “quick,” and a nickname for a “lively person.”
56. Snowball – an English nickname for someone with a “white patch of hair” over a bald head.
57. Soroka – a Russian/Ukrainian nickname using the Slavic word for a “magpie.”
58. Sørpebøl – is a Norwegian farmland, meaning “slush hole” or “slush abode.”
59. Sotiropoulos – based on the Greek first name Sōtērios, using the “-poulos” suffix, meaning “nestling chick.”
60. Sotomayor – means “place of the large trees” in Galicia, from the Latin “saltus,” meaning “forest pasture.”
61. Spade – from the Middle German “späth,” meaning “late” and a nickname for a “tardy person.”
62. Spartacus – means “from the city of Sparta” and is known as the famous Roman slave.
63. Speller – the most literal of 7-letter surnames starting with S that means “one who can spell.”
64. Sporn – a German and Jewish nickname meaning “to spur,” given to spur-makers.
65. Sprinkle – a diminutive of “spring” and a nickname given to a “lively young man.”
66. Squatpump – an American surname used by film makeup artist Yolanda Squatpump.
67. Squitieri – an Italian variation of Scuteri, meaning “shieldbearer,” from the Latin “scutum,” meaning “shield.”
68. Sroufe – an Anglo spelling of the German Schroff, meaning “craggy (or rock) face.”
69. Stahnke – a German nickname for the Slavic Stanislav, meaning “someone who achieves glory or fame.”
70. Stanstill – an Old English variation of “stand still” for someone who doesn’t like fast movements.
71. Stare – a Slavic derivative for “star,” meaning “old,” given to a senior citizen.
72. Statum – for those living in an ancient English settlement called Statham, located in Cheshire.
73. Steer – from the Middle German “stēr,” meaning “young bull” and a nickname for a heavy person.
74. Stieglitz – came to Germany from the Old Czech “stehlec,” meaning “goldfinch.”
75. Stofko – a Slovak nickname for Christopher and a diminutive for “štof,” meaning “woolen cloth.”
76. Stordahl – means “big valley” among Norwegian last names starting with S, focused on farmsteads.
77. Stover – derives from the Middle German “stover,” meaning “bather” or “worker at a public bathhouse.”
78. Streep – a Dutch word meaning “line” to indicate a “dividing line.”
79. Stroker – a derivative of the Middle English “stroken,” meaning “to stroke,” “make smooth,” or “sharpen.”
80. Stuteville – based on the place name Estouteville or Etoutteville in Seine-Maritime, France.
81. Suparman – an Arabic surname used in Indonesia included in mostly unknown last names starting with S.
82. Supersad – has unknown meaning but is mainly found in Trinidad and Tobago.
83. Susegg – a Norwegian surname meaning “wind egg” made official in the 19th- and 20th centuries.
84. Sutor – from the Old English “soutere” and the Old Norse “sutare,” meaning “shoemaker” or “cobbler.”
85. Svinvik – another funny Norwegian surname meaning “pig’s bay” with only 28 known occurrences in 2014.
86. Swauger – a variation of the German Schwager, meaning “grieved” or “sad.”
87. Swett – an old example of a surname starting with S from the Old English “swete,” meaning “sweet.”
88. Swindells – “from Swindells orchard in Cheshire,” meaning “swine ditch” or “pig quarry.”
89. Swonger – a form of the German Zwanger, an occupational name for a “maker of pliers.”
90. Szczepanik – means “descendant of little Szczepan,” the Polish form of Stephen, meaning “crown.”