Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Sebastian

Sebastian comes from the Latin Sebastianus meaning “man from Sēbastē” which was an ancient town located in present-day Turkey and named for Augustus Caesar. The name ultimately comes from the Greek word “sebastos” (σεβαστος) meaning “venerable” and was the Greek equivalent of the Latin regal title, Augustus, given to Caesar. The name was borne by a 3rd century saint who joined the Roman army as a way to quietly protect and defend the Christian martyrs of his day while avoiding detection during the Christian persecutions of the Roman Empire. Legend has it that St. Sebastian was killed with arrows by his fellow soldiers, and he became a favorite of medieval artists who depicted this bloody event. Sebastian became the patron saint of athletes and soldiers (for his strong physical endurance) and the patron saint of plague sufferers (for his reported cures of those afflicted with many diseases). His name was popularized by Christians in the 14th century during the Black Death which reinforced the appeal of this protective saint’s name. Today Sebastian is quite popular all over the Western World, supplying the name with ample amounts of Cosmopolitan Coolness. This “venerable” name is currently a Top 100 favorite for baby boys in the following countries: Chile, Austria, Norway, Denmark, Poland, Australia, England, Sweden, the United States, Canada, Ireland and Croatia.

All About the Baby Name – Sebastian

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME SEBASTIAN

The number Nine personality represents the completion or ending of the cycle, and a need for perfection. This is the personality that moves from "self" to a greater understanding and compassion for the human condition and the world order. They want to make the world a better place. Nines are capable of great spiritual and humanitarian achievements. They are courageous and fearless, able to fight great battles on behalf of worthy causes. These personalities will not tolerate injustice. They are compassionate people with a strong sensitivity to others. They are able to both educate and inspire. Friendships and relationships are the lifeblood to the Nine, and they place a high value on love and affection. Nines are often exceptionally gifted artistically, and they have a keen imagination and enterprising mind.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME SEBASTIAN

Sebastian has been in circulation in America for over a century, although its usage was generally on the lower end of the scale. It wasn’t until the 1990s when Sebastian started to show some real promise, and in the first year of the 21st century (2000) it finally achieved a coveted spot on the U.S. Top 100 list. The name probably got a little boost from the 1999 film, “Cruel Intentions” starring Ryan Phillippe as Sebastian Valmont, the movie’s handsome anti-hero. Sebastian has always been considered a somewhat pretentious, high-falutin’ name (like Maximilian or Devereux). Not anymore. Sebastian is entering the mainstream and probably intends to stay. Americans are no longer shy about bestowing these esteemed and sophisticated-sounding names on their little boys. England, Australia, and Canada agree – Sebastian shows up on the Top 100 in these countries, too. It’s also a great choice for classical music lovers and fans of Johann Sebastian Bach.

Quick Facts

ON SEBASTIAN

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

Greek

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

3

RANKING POPULARITY:

45

PRONUNCIATION:

seh-BAS-chin

SIMPLE MEANING:

Venerable

Characteristics

OF SEBASTIAN

Multi-talented

Intuitive

Oneness

Idealistic

Philanthropy

Independent

Perfection

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Sebastian

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME SEBASTIAN

Sebastian is a minor character in Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night.” He is the twin brother of the leading character, Viola; each mistakenly thinks the other dead in a shipwreck. He is a good and decent man whose main role is to provide a foil for his sister’s adventures in cross-dressing and identity-tweaking (this being Shakespeare, after all).

Sebastian is the younger son of Lord and Lady Marchmain in Evelyn Waugh’s 1945 classic, “Brideshead Revisited.” He is an old college chum of Charles Ryder, the narrator, who looks back over the development and history of their friendship in the course of the book. Charming, whimsical and child-like (he carries his teddy bear, Aloysius, around campus with him), Sebastian is ultimately doomed, fleeing from the restrictions of his very religious family, and destroying himself with alcohol, drugs and inappropriate relationships. Nonetheless, he maintains those attractive qualities right up to the end. As his sister describes the monks’ feelings about him in the leper colony in Tunisia where Sebastian eventually lands: "They loved him there. He’s still loved, you see, wherever he goes, whatever condition he’s in. It’s a thing about him he’ll never lose."

Twelfth Night; The Tempest

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME SEBASTIAN

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Sebastian


Popular Songs

ON SEBASTIAN

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Sebastian


Famous People

NAMED SEBASTIAN

We cannot find any well-known or significantly famous people with the first name Sebastian.

Children of Famous People

NAMED SEBASTIAN

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Sebastian

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME SEBASTIAN

Johann Sebastian Bach is the German born composer and performer of Baroque classical music, the author of such masterpieces as “Mass in B Minor”, “The Well-Tempered Clavier” and the “Brandenburg Concertos”. It was almost impossible for Johann Sebastian Bach not to be a musician – he descended from a long generational line of such. He was a beautiful singer in his youth (until the dreaded voice change), and played the violin, harpsichord and organ, as well as composing. Early positions as church organist brought him into conflict with the clergy over his independent streak and his tendency to do things his own way. More successfully, he served as court composer to both Prince Leopold and August III. Bach was very popular as a performing organist, but it took until the 19th century for his formidable genius as a composer to be recognized. Today, he is classed with the “three Bs” (Beethoven and Brahms) as being the acknowledged giants of the field. Almost as prolific a progenitor as a composer, Bach fathered twenty (!) children between his two wives.