Choosing a last name, whether for a character, a pen name, or just out of curiosity, can be a deeply personal experience. Names carry history, culture, and identity.
If you’re drawn to surnames that start with the letter “S,” you’re in luck! This list covers 180 unique last names beginning with “S,” their meanings, and origins.
To make it easier, we’ve categorized them into:
- Occupational Surnames
- Geographical or Location-Based Surnames
- Descriptive or Nickname-Based Surnames
- Patronymic or Matronymic Surnames
- Cultural & Ethnic Surnames
Let’s dive in!
Occupational Surnames
These last names were often derived from a person’s job or trade.
- Smith – English origin, meaning “blacksmith” or metalworker.
- Shepherd – English, meaning a person who tended sheep.
- Shoemaker – German/English, referring to a cobbler.
- Sawyer – English, meaning “one who saws wood.”
- Sailor – Occupational name for someone who worked on ships.
- Scribe – From the Latin scriba, meaning a writer or clerk.
- Saddler – A maker or seller of saddles.
- Sealer – An official who certified documents with a seal.
- Spicer – Old English, meaning a spice merchant.
- Steward – Originally referred to a household manager.
- Sexton – A church officer in charge of maintenance.
- Singer – For someone who sang professionally.
- Slater – A roofer who worked with slate tiles.
- Sweeper – Possibly for a street cleaner.
- Swindler – Old German, originally meaning “herdsman.”
- Saddler – A maker of saddles.
- Sapper – Military engineer who dug trenches.
- Scrivener – A professional scribe or copyist.
- Saddletree – A variant of “Saddler.”
- Stringer – A maker of strings for bows or musical instruments.
Geographical or Location-Based Surnames
These surnames come from places, landmarks, or natural features.
- Stone – Derived from someone who lived near a prominent stone or rocky area.
- Summers – Could indicate someone born in summer or from a place called Summer.
- Sands – For families living near sandy terrain.
- Shore – For those residing by a coast or lake.
- Slade – Old English, meaning “valley” or “hollow.”
- Sutton – Means “south town” in Old English.
- Sierra – Spanish, meaning “mountain range.”
- Snow – Possibly for someone from a snowy region.
- Sterling – Scottish, from the city of Stirling.
- Sutherland – Scottish, meaning “southern land.”
- Stanton – Old English, meaning “stone settlement.”
- Sherwood – From the famous forest in England.
- Salisbury – From the English city of Salisbury.
- Selby – Old Norse, meaning “village by the willows.”
- Stanford – Means “stone ford.”
- Somerset – From the English county.
- Sedgewick – “Dairy farm by the reeds.”
- Sunderland – “Separate land” in Old English.
- Swansea – Welsh, meaning “Sveinn’s island.”
- Stratford – “Ford by a Roman road.”
Descriptive or Nickname-Based Surnames
These names often described a person’s appearance, personality, or traits.
- Short – Given to someone of small stature.
- Swift – For a fast runner or quick thinker.
- Strong – Denoting physical or mental strength.
- Sweet – Possibly a kind or pleasant person.
- Sharp – Could refer to intelligence or a sharp feature.
- Silva – Latin for “forest,” possibly for someone who lived near woods.
- Small – Another name for a petite person.
- Sly – May have indicated a clever or cunning individual.
- Stout – Means “bold” or “strong” in Old English.
- Stern – German for “strict” or “severe.”
- Savage – Originally meant “wild” or “untamed.”
- Sallow – Referred to someone with a pale complexion.
- Sincere – Possibly for an honest person.
- Slythe – Variant of “Sly,” meaning cunning.
- Smooth – Could describe someone with a calm demeanor.
- Sober – For a serious or temperate person.
- Solemn – Indicated a grave or serious nature.
- Sparrow – A nickname for a small, lively person.
- Stalwart – Means “strong and brave.”
- Sunny – For a cheerful disposition.
Patronymic or Matronymic Surnames
These surnames are derived from a father’s or ancestor’s name.
- Stevenson – “Son of Steven.”
- Sampson – Derived from the biblical name Samson.
- Simpson – “Son of Sim” (short for Simon).
- Saunders – “Son of Alexander.”
- Sullivan – Irish, meaning “dark-eyed one,” from Súileabháin.
- Sorensen – Scandinavian, “son of Soren.”
- Svensson – Swedish, “son of Sven.”
- Sigurdson – Norse, “son of Sigurd.”
- Salazar – Basque, possibly “old hall.”
- Santos – Spanish/Portuguese, meaning “saints.”
- Seward – “Sea guardian,” from Old English.
- Sheldon – “Steep valley,” but also used as a patronymic.
- Sherman – “Shear man,” possibly a wool worker.
- Smedley – “Smooth meadow,” but also a patronymic.
- Smythe – Variant of “Smith.”
- Somers – “Summer’s child.”
- Stanley – “Stony meadow,” but also used as a first name.
- Stanton – “Stone settlement,” sometimes patronymic.
- Stoddard – “Horse keeper,” but also used as a surname.
- Sutherland – “Southern land,” sometimes linked to family lines.
Cultural & Ethnic Surnames
These names have deep roots in specific cultures.
Irish & Scottish
- Scott – Originally denoted a person from Scotland.
- Shaw – Gaelic Mac Ghille Sheatha, meaning “son of the wolf.”
- Sinclair – Norman-French origin, meaning “Saint-Clair.”
- Stewart – Scottish, originally a royal title.
- Sloan – Irish, from Slughadán, meaning “raider.”
- Sweeney – Irish, from Mac Suibhne, meaning “pleasant.”
- Scots – Variant of “Scott.”
- Shannon – From the Irish river name.
- Stark – Scottish, meaning “strong.”
- Sutherland – “Southern land” in Gaelic.
Spanish & Hispanic
- Santiago – Means “Saint James.”
- Santana – Derived from Saint Anne.
- Salinas – Refers to salt marshes or salt pans.
- Suarez – “Son of Suero,” a medieval Spanish name.
- Soto – Means “grove” or “small forest.”
- Sanchez – “Son of Sancho.”
- Serrano – “From the mountains.”
- Solano – “Sunny” or “east wind.”
- Segura – Means “safe” or “secure.”
- Salgado – “Salty,” possibly referring to a salt worker.
German & Dutch
- Schmidt – German equivalent of “Smith.”
- Schneider – German for “tailor.”
- Schulz – Means “village mayor” or “sheriff.”
- Stein – German for “stone.”
- Van Sant – Dutch, meaning “from Saint.”
- Schumacher – “Shoemaker.”
- Schaefer – “Shepherd.”
- Schroeder – “Steward” or “innkeeper.”
- Schmitt – Variant of “Schmidt.”
- Singer – Also German, meaning “singer.”
Scandinavian
- Sorensen – Danish, “son of Soren.”
- Svendsen – “Son of Svend.”
- Strand – Norwegian, meaning “beach.”
- Solberg – Means “sun mountain.”
- Sundqvist – Swedish, “sunny twig.”
- Svensson – “Son of Sven.”
- Sigurdsson – Icelandic, “son of Sigurd.”
- Sivertsen – Norwegian, “son of Sivert.”
- Sørensen – Danish variant of “Sorensen.”
- Stensen – “Son of Sten.”
Rare and Unusual “S” Surnames
These less common surnames have fascinating histories and meanings.
- Sable – French origin meaning “black,” referring to the luxurious fur
- Saffron – Occupational name for a spice merchant
- Salem – Hebrew/Arabic origin meaning “peace”
- Searcy – English locational name from Sercy, France
- Selwyn – Old English meaning “friend at court”
- Severn – From the River Severn in England
- Shackleton – English place name meaning “village with huts”
- Shaughnessy – Irish surname meaning “descendant of Seachnasaigh”
- Silverstein – German/Jewish meaning “silver stone”
- Skylar – Dutch occupational name for a scholar
- Slocum – English place name meaning “muddy valley”
- Somerset – From the English county meaning “summer settlers”
- Sorrell – French nickname for someone with reddish hair
- Spalding – English place name meaning “divided field”
- Stratton – English meaning “street settlement”
- Sweeney – Irish meaning “pleasant” or “well-disposed”
- Swinton – English place name meaning “pig farm”
- Symonds – Patronymic meaning “son of Simon”
- Synclair – Variant of Sinclair meaning “Saint-Clair”
- Szymanski – Polish meaning “son of Szymon (Simon)”
Nature-Inspired “S” Surnames
These surnames draw from the natural world.
- Sage – Refers to the wise herb or a wise person
- Sanderson – Means “son of Alexander” but also references sand
- Seabrook – Means “stream by the sea”
- Seagull – Possibly a nickname for someone near the sea
- Seaver – Occupational name for a sea traveler
- Selby – Old Norse meaning “village with willows”
- Shell – Could refer to someone who collected or sold shells
- Skye – From the Isle of Skye in Scotland
- Snowden – Means “snow hill”
- Solomon – Biblical name meaning “peace”
- Sorrel – Refers to the reddish-brown color
- Sparrow – Small bird, nickname for a petite person
- Spruce – Refers to the evergreen tree
- Starling – From the bird, possibly a nickname
- Storm – Could describe a tempestuous personality
- Sumner – Occupational name for a summoner
- Sun – Could refer to brightness or cheerfulness
- Swan – Elegant bird, possibly a nickname
- Sweetwater – Refers to fresh drinking water
- Sycamore – From the tree name
International “S” Surnames
For those seeking globally-inspired surnames.
- Saito – Japanese, meaning “western wisteria”
- Santoro – Italian, meaning “all saints”
- Sarkar – Bengali, meaning “chief” or “superintendent”
- Sato – Most common Japanese surname meaning “sugar wisteria”
- Schäfer – German, meaning “shepherd”
- Schuster – German, meaning “shoemaker”
- Sokolov – Russian, meaning “son of the falcon”
- Sorokin – Russian, meaning “son of the magpie”
- Stefanovic – Serbian, meaning “son of Stefan”
- Stojanovic – Serbian, meaning “son of Stojan”
- Suzuki – Japanese, meaning “bell tree”
- Svoboda – Czech, meaning “freedom”
- Szabo – Hungarian, meaning “tailor”
- Szewczyk – Polish, meaning “shoemaker’s son”
- Szmidt – Polish variant of “Schmidt” (smith)
- Szymczak – Polish, meaning “son of Simon”
- Sørensen – Danish, meaning “son of Søren”
- Šimunović – Croatian, meaning “son of Simon”
- Švec – Czech, meaning “shoemaker”
- Şahin – Turkish, meaning “falcon”
Final Thoughts
Last names are like tiny time capsules; they carry stories of ancestors, trades, and homelands. Whether you’re researching your genealogy, naming a character, or just love the sound of a particular surname, we hope this list sparks your curiosity!
Did we miss any interesting “S” surnames? Let us know in the comments!