140 Surnames or Last Names That Start With S
- Last Names or Family Names that Begin with S
- Italian Last Names With S
- Spanish Surnames That Start With S
- Jewish Last Names Beginning With S
- German Surnames Starting With S
- Japanese Last Names That Begin With The Letter S
- Polish Surnames Beginning With S
- Greek Last Names Starting With S
- French Surnames That Begin With The Letter S
- Irish Last Names With S
- American Last Names With S
The utility of last names that start with S grew at a time when human clans grew to a considerable size, and a system of classification was needed. It helped to anchor an individual to a larger collective and identify one’s origin. Family names are determined as per the law or custom of a particular community and passed on from generation to the other. Local names, occupation, nicknames, baptismal names, topographic names, heretical names, and even plants and animals inspired the adoption of surnames.
‘S’, the 19th alphabet in English, is powerful enough to have a huge impact on one’s behaviour and thought. Last names beginning with ‘S’ can be symbolic as the letter S resonates the ideas of tolerance, self-reliance and humanitarianism. Surnames beginning with ‘S’ and their meanings would help you to draw attention and make a mark wherever you go. Read this list we have curated with some beautiful surnames starting with ‘S’.
Last Names or Family Names that Begin with S
If you want to adopt an alias for yourself or your newborn baby from this list of common last names beginning with ‘S’, check out their distinctive meanings that would add value to the name.
1. Saade
Derived from Arabic sa’ad, the name means ‘lucky’, Saade is a Portuguese surname.
2. Saalfeld
This German topographical name is a compound form of ‘sal’, meaning ‘manor’, and ‘velt’, meaning ‘field’.
3. Saam
This metonymic occupational name stands for ‘seed’ in German. It also refers to the ethnic people of Scandanavia in Swedish.
4. Saar
This Estonian surname means ‘island’.
5. Saari
Derived from Finland, Saari also means ‘island’.
6. Saas
Saas refers to a settler or a newcomer derived from German ‘saze’, meaning ‘residence’.
7. Saavedra
This Galician habitational name is formed from Gothic ‘Saals’, meaning ‘main house’, and vedro, meaning ‘old’ in Latin.
8. Sabah
This Arabic or Turkish surname means ‘morning’.
9. Sabala
This occupational name is derived from Slovak ‘sabol’, meaning ‘tailor’.
10. Sabbadin
Sabbadin means ‘Saturday’ in Italian, and refers ‘to a person born on this day.’
11. Sacco
This Italian occupational name is derived from ‘sacco’, meaning ‘maker of sacks’, or its Latin form ‘saccus’.
12. Sackmann
This German occupational name is derived from German ‘sacman’, which means ‘baggage servant’. It is also believed to be a nickname for ‘a plunderer’.
13. Sackville
Sackville is derived from the Norman French town of Saqueneville.
14. Sadberry
This English habitational name is derived from Sadbury Hill in Northumbria.
15. Sadler
This English occupational name is derived from ‘sadol’, and it refers to ‘maker of saddles’.
16. Sadowsi
Sadowi refers to ‘someone who lives in Sadowi’. It comes from Polish ‘sad’, meaning ‘orchard’.
17. Saegar
Derived from German ‘segan’ meaning ‘to saw’, or Dutch ‘Saeger’, it is an occupational name for a ‘sawyer’.
18. Saetern
This Norwegian habitational name is derived from seater, which in turn comes from Old Norse ‘setr’, meaning ‘farm’.
19. Saffer
Derived from Norman origin, Saffer comes from ‘saffre’, meaning ‘glutton’ in French. It could be a topographic name for ‘someone living in a deep depression in South Germany.’
20. Safir
Safir is an ornamental name that is derived from German ‘saphir’ meaning ‘saphhire’.
21. Safstrom
This Swedish ornamental name is derived from Swedish ‘saf’, which is an ornamental form of ‘sav’ that means ‘rush’ and ‘strrom’, that means ’river’.
22. Sagan
Derived from Poland, Sagan is a metonymic occupational name for a ‘maker of pots and pans’. It could also be a habitational name for Sagan in Lower Silesia.
23. Sagastume
Sagastume is a topographic name derived from Basque ‘sagaste’, meaning ‘apple tree’, and ‘ume’ meaning ‘young plant’.
24. Sage
Derived from Latin and French ‘Sage’ which refers to the sagebrush plant or means ‘Wise One’ in English.
25. Sahagun
This Spanish habitational name refers to Sahagun in Lleon province.
26. Sahlberg
Sahlberg is a habitational name in German and Jewish. It can be an ornamental name composed of the elements of ‘sahl’, meaning ‘hall’, and ‘berg’, meaning ‘hill’ in Swedish.
27. Sahm
Sahm is a metonymic occupational name for a ‘seed merchant’ derived from sam.
28. Sailer
Sailer means denotes a “leaper” or “dancer.” It is derived from Old Norman French word “sailleor”.
29. Sain
This metonymic occupational surname is derived from Old French ‘grease’, ‘dripping’ referring to a ‘pork butcher’.
30. Saint
Derived from Latin ‘sanctus’, meaning ‘blameless’, it also means ‘holy’ in Old French. Saint is also a nickname for a pious individual.
31. Saito
Saito in Japanese means ‘purification’ or ‘wisteria’ indicating a connection with the Fujiwara clan.
32. Sajdak
This Polish metonymic occupational surname refers to a ‘quiver maker’ as sajdak means ‘quiver’.
33. Sakamato
Derived from Japanese ‘saka’, meaning ‘slope’, and ‘moto’ meaning ‘origin’. The name refers to ‘the one who lives at the bottom of the slope.’
34. Sakamoto
The name means ‘one who lives at the bottom of the slope’ in Japanese.
35. Sakuma
Sakuma is a habitational name from the village of Awa and refers to the descendants of the Taira clan.
36. Sakurai
Sakurai in Japanese is a habitational name meaning ‘cherry blossom’.
37. Salamanca
This Spanish surname refers to ‘a person from Salamanca in Western Spain’.
38. Salazar
This Basque surname is derived from ‘sala’, meaning ‘hall’, and ‘zahar’, meaning ‘old’. It refers to a person from Salazar town.
39. Salcedo
This Spanish surname is derived from Latin ‘salix’, meaning ‘willow tree’, referring to one living near it.
40. Salo
Salo means ‘forest’ in Finnish.
41. Samaan
Samaan in Arabic means ‘to hear’.
42. Samad
Samad is derived from Muslim personal name ‘Samad’, meaning ‘everlasting’ or ‘servant of Lord’.
43. Samaras
Samaras means ‘saddle-maker’ in Greek.
44. Samora
Samora in Hebrew means ‘ruled by God’ and ‘seedling’ in Latin.
45. Samuelson
This English surname name means ‘son of Samuel’.
46. Sandford
This English habitational surname refers to ‘a person from Sandford’.
47. Sanna
This Italian surname is derived from ‘zanna’, meaning ‘tusk’. It refers to a person with a protruding tooth.
48. Santoro
This Italian surname means ‘all saints day’ in Italian referring to ‘one born on that day’.
49. Saqqaf
Saqqaf in Arabic means ‘roof’.
50. Sarabia
This habitational surname is derived from Galician ‘sarabia’, meaning ‘hail’.
51. Saracco
Derived from ‘saracchio’ denoting a type of grass used for matting, this Italian metonymic occupational surname refers to someone who gathered the grass or wove it to mats. It can also come from Arabic ‘sarraq’, meaning ‘thief’.
52. Saraceno
This Italian nickname is derived from saraceno ‘Saracen’ denoting ‘an unruly person’.
53. Sarafin
Sarafin in Hebrew means ‘angels’.
54. Sasek
Sasek is a Czeck and Slovak nickname means ‘fool’.
55. Sassman
Sassman is a German regional name for someone from Lower Saxony.
56. Sasson
This Jewish surname is derived from Hebrew personal name ‘Sason’, meaning ‘joy’.
57. Sato
Derived from Japanese ‘sa’, meaning ‘help’, and ‘to’ meaning ‘wisteria’, it refers to the Fujiwara clan.
58. Satran
This habitational name comes from Satran in the Highland region of Scotland in North Yorkshire.
59. Sattar
Derived from Arabic ‘sattar’, meaning ‘veiler’, Sattar is a combination of ‘Abd as-Sattar’, which means ‘servant of the veiler’.
60. Sauber
Sauber in German means ‘tidy’.
61. Sauer
Sauer in German means ‘sour’ and is a nickname for ‘an embittered person’.
62. Sauter
Derived from Latin ‘sutor’, meaning ‘someone who sews leather’, Sauter is a German occupational surname for a ‘cobbler’.
63. Sauveterre
Derived from French ‘sauve’, meaning ‘safe’, and ‘terre’, meaning ‘land’, Sauveterre comes from various towns in France.
64. Savatier
Derived from French savate ‘shoemaker’, Savatier refers to a ‘shoemaker’.
65. Savona
Savona is an Italian surname referring to Savo city in northern Italy.
66. Sawyer
This English occupational surname refers to ‘woodcutter’.
67. Sayer
Sayer in Welsh means ‘carpenter’.
68. Saylor
Derived from Latin ‘sallitor’, this English occupational surname means ‘dancer’.
69. Scarpa
Scarpa in Italian refers to a ‘shoemaker’.
70. Scavo
Scavo in Italian means ‘slave’.
71. Schafer
Derived from German scaphare, Schafer means ‘Shephard’.
72. Schnur
Schnur is an occupational surname for ‘a rope-maker’. It is derived from German ‘snuor’, meaning ‘cord’.
73. Schuler
This German surname means ‘scholar’ and is derived from Latin schola ‘school’.
74. Schwarzenberg
Schwarzenberg means ‘black mountain’ in German.
75. Seabrooke
This English surname denotes ‘a person from a Seabrook town in Buckinghamshire’.
76. Shakespeare
Shakespeare is a nickname for a ‘warlike person’ and is derived from ‘scacan’, meaning ‘to shake’ and ‘speare’, meaning ‘spear’ in Old English.
77. Shapiro
Shapiro in Jewish means ‘ lovely’ in Hebrew, from Aramaic.
78. Shinoda
Shinoda is derived from ‘shino’, meaning ‘dwarf bamboo’ in Japanese.
79. Shirazi
This Persian surname refers to ‘someone who came from Shiraz in Southern Iran’.
80. Siegel
Derived from Latin sigillum ‘seal’, Siegel is an occupational surname for a ‘maker of wax seals’.
Italian Last Names With S
Italian surnames are actually quite common all over the world. Here is a list of a few popular Italian surnames that you can choose from.
1. Sabina
The surname means ‘woman of the Sabine people’. They are an Italian tribe.
2. Saccone
The surname can be derived from the personal name Sacco.
3. Saggio
The surname means ‘wise learned’ and can be found across cultures.
4. Sala
This is a topographic or occupational name meaning someone living in or employed at a hall or manor.
5. Saladino
The surname comes from the personal name Saladino. The name denotes a bully or a tyrant.
6. Sartori
The name is an occupational surname which means ‘tailor’.
7. Scotti
The surname is of Roman-Latin origins and means ‘a free man’.
8. Segreto
The surname means ‘confidant’.
Spanish Surnames That Start With S
Spanish surnames are popularly used all over Latin America and have quite a zing to them. Here are some popular Spanish surnames.
1. Salas
The Spanish surname is a common family name in the Hispanic-speaking world and means ‘rooms’ or ‘halls’.
2. Salvador
The name is of Catalan, Spanish, and Portuguese origin and means ‘saviour’.
3. Sanchez
The last name is of Spanish origin and means ‘son of Sancho’.
4. Santana
The surname is perfect for a spiritual family. It means ‘holy’.
5. Santiago
The name is of Galician, Spanish, and Portuguese origin. It represents Saint James.
6. Serrano
It is a topographic name for someone who lived by a mountain ridge or chain of hills.
7. Sevilla
Sevilla is a Spanish surname that originates from the city of Seville.
8. Solano
The name is of Spanish and Aragonese origin. It is a habitational surname.
Jewish Last Names Beginning With S
Jewish last names are usually habitational or occupational in nature. The names are usually of Hebrew origin. Here is a list of a few popular Jewish surnames.
1. Sachs
It is a German surname which means ‘man from Saxony’.
2. Sackman
It is an occupational name from Middle High German meaning ‘baggage servant’.
3. Sandler
It is a habitational name for someone from Sandel.
4. Sas
The surname is an ethnic and habitational name from Middle Dutch Sasse Polish Sas ‘Saxon’.
5. Schatzman
The surname roughly translates to treasure man.
6. Schapiro
It is an occupational surname which means ‘sheep’.
7. Shulman
Shulman is an Ashkenazi Jewish surname that literally means “shul-man”. It was usually given to the head of the synagogue
8. Spiegelberg
It is a habitational surname which translates to ‘lookout point’ and ‘mountain hill’.
German Surnames Starting With S
German surnames, too, are usually of Hebrew or Latin origin. They are habitational or occupational in nature and truly reflect a person’s roots. Here are some German Surnames starting with S.
1. Schmidt
It is a common occupational surname that means ‘blacksmith’.
2. Schroder
It is an occupational surname that was given to tailors or cloth cutters.
3. Schneider
It is an occupational surname given to tailors.
4. Stauder
The surname is a topographic name for someone who lived by a thicket from Staude.
5. Schoff
The surname is the German equivalent of a Sheaf.
6. Schwing
It is an occupational surname for someone whose job was to swingle flax.
7. Schwein
It is an occupational name for a swineherd from Middle High German.
8. Steuber
The surname is an occupational name for a miller from an agent derivative of Middle High German.
Japanese Last Names That Begin With The Letter S
Japanese last names are inherited patrilineally and are passed down through generations. Here are some popular Japanese surnames from S.
1. Sakai
This family descended from the Tokugawa family and took its name from the village of Sakai in Izumi.
2. Sakaguchi
It is a habitational name which means ‘one who lives at the mouth of the slope’.
3. Sano
The surname is found all over Japan and means ‘small field’.
4. Sasaki
The surname is found in Northeastern Japan and means ‘wren’.
5. Shibata
The name is of eastern Japan and means ‘rice paddy’ or ‘turf’.
6. Shima
This is a popular Japanese surname and means ‘island’.
7. Sone
The surname is found in eastern Japan and in the Ryūkyū Islands. It means ‘ancestor’ or ‘root’.
8. Sugimoto
It is a habitational surname and means ‘one who lives beneath the cedars’.
Polish Surnames Beginning With S
Polish surnames are usually formed by combining a suffix to a root word. Here are some popular Polish surnames.
1. Sadowski
The surname means ‘from the orchard’.
2. Serafin
The name has many origins from different cultures and means ‘burning ones’.
3. Sikora
The surname is related to the Czech and Slovak surname Sýkora. It was used as a nickname for a small and agile person.
4. Sitko
The name means ‘sieve’.
5. Skala
The name is of Polish and German origin. It means ‘dweller near a rock’.
6. Slusarki
It is an occupational surname which translates to ‘metal smith’.
7. Smolak
It is likely an occupational name derived from smola which means ‘resin pitch’.
8. Sneigowski
It is a habitational surname that translates to ‘snow’.
Greek Last Names Starting With S
1. Sacca
The name was likely used as an occupational name for a maker or seller of sacks
2. Salamon
The surname translates to ‘man of peace’.
3. Sarris
The surname means ‘fair-haired pale’.
4. Savas
The surname means ‘old man grandfather’.
5. Scala
Scala is a habitational or topographic name from any of various places named with scala ‘ladder’, ‘steps’, ‘wharf’.
6. Selinofoto
This Greek surname means ‘moonlight’.
7. Servopoulos
The surname means ‘son of a Serb’.
8. Sideris
The surname is given as a well-wish meaning ‘may the child grow up to be as strong as iron’.
French Surnames That Begin With The Letter S
1. Sale
It is a habitational name from any of the places called Sales.
2. Sartre
It is an occupational surname.
3. Schaeffer
The surname means ‘steward of household’.
4. Segal
The surname is occupational in nature and means ‘grower’.
5. Sergeant
The name is of Old French origin and means ‘soldier’ or ‘protector’.
6. Serres
It is a habitational name from any of the places called Serres.
7. Serrurier
The surname is an occupational surname that translates to ‘locksmith’.
8. Simon
The surname means ‘God has heard’.
Irish Last Names With S
1. Sack
The surname means ‘wise’.
2. Saddler
It is an occupational surname for a maker or seller of saddles.
3. Salt
It is a habitational surname.
4. Samson
The surname means ‘sun’ or ‘service’.
5. Samuel
The surname means ‘asked of God’.
6. Scully
The surname means ‘descendant of Scolaidhe’.
7. Sheehy
The surname means ‘descendant of Sítheach’.
8. Sheeran
The surname means ‘long-lasting’.
American Last Names With S
1. Sampson
The surname means ‘sun’.
2. Sanders
The surname means ‘son of Alexander’.
3. Scott
This surname simply translates to ‘from Scotland’.
4. Shaw
The surname is a topographic name for someone who lived by a copse or thicket.
5. Shelton
The surname means ‘ledge village’.
6. Shepherd
It is an occupational surname which translates to ‘sheep herder’.
7. Sidney
The surname translates to ‘wide water meadow’.
8. Simmons
The surname translates to ‘son of Simon’.
This fascinating documentation of surnames beginning with the letter ‘S’ represents membership to certain groups. If you’re particularly looking for Surnames starting with this letter, we hope the guide above helps you make your own pedigree chart representing your family’s history and relationships.