Summon all sorts of history, culture, and tradition by exploring these sensational last names that start with S.
If you’ve ever wondered about the meanings behind the most common S surnames, you’re in the right place. Found around the world, last names beginning with S carry a range of deep and unusual meanings, some of which may surprise you today.
Keep reading to learn all about the most popular and well-known surnames, starting with S, including all their secret meanings, origins, namesakes, and more.
300 Special Last Names That Start With S
Does the meaning of these spectacular S surnames surprise you?
- Saar – this European place name makes a cool, 4-letter surname.
- Sabino – refers to the ancient Sabine population in central Italy.
- Sabinus – also relating to the Sabines, dating back prior to the Roman Republic.
- Saddler – or Sadler, taken from the occupation of making saddles.
- Saffer – a Norman name, perhaps given as a nickname to a greedy or gluttonous person.
- Sage – like the herby plant, also a unisex given name meaning “wise.”
- Sahakyan – a common Armenian surname, from the same root as the Hebrew given name Isaac.
- Şahin – very common in Turkey, after a type of bird.
- Sailor – a great name for a seafaring family.
- Sainsbury – an English place (and supermarket) name, meaning “saint’s settlement.”
- Saint – a spiritual sort of surname for devout families.
- Salas – a common Spanish surname, meaning “halls, rooms.”
- Salazar – a gorgeously gothic pick among last names starting with S, meaning “manor house, old hall.”
- Salihović – this Bosniack patronymic surname means “son of Salih.”
- Salim – means “safe” as a pure Arabic name.
- Salinas – a Spanish place name meaning “saltworks.”
- Salisbury – a proper English town name, perhaps meaning “willow settlement.”
- Salmon – a biblical Hebrew name inspired by the pink fish.
- Salter – a pure pick among S last names, traditionally denoting a person who sold salt.
- Salvatore – this godly Italian name means “savior,” a spiritual pick among surnames beginning with S.
- Salvius – is confident among Roman-era S names, meaning “safe.”
- Samaras – meaning “saddler, saddle-maker,” a gorgeous pick among Greek last names that start with S.
- Samardžić – a strong name for a “saddle maker.”
- Samson – a radiant Hebrew given name and surname, meaning “sun child.”
- Samuel – meaning “God has heard,” this blessed name is commonly used as a male given name.
- Samuels – a variant of Samuel, perhaps a great one for a son.
- Sanchez – a devout Hispanic name meaning “son of Sancho,” which is rooted in Latin, meaning “holy.”
- Sanders – meaning “son of Alexander” for “defensive” and influential individuals.
- Sandler – an old Yiddish surname for a “sandal maker.”
- Sangster – a charismatic name for a “singer, musician.”
- Sanna – this Sardinian surname uniquely means “fang, protruding tooth.”
- Santiago – this handsome surname is rooted in various places in Spain of that name.
- Santino – a cute Italian given name and surname, meaning “little saint.”
- Santos – meaning “saints,” this religious Spanish and Portuguese pick may also be seen as Dos Santos.
- Sanz – a sweet 4-letter surname, perhaps a form of Sanchez, meaning “holy.”
- Sapateiro – a Portuguese surname for a “shoemaker.”
- Sapozhnikov – this standout Russian surname means “cobbler, shoemaker.”
- Sarto – means “tailor,” sounding smart among Italian occupational last names starting with S.
- Sartoris – another Italian occupational name meaning “tailor.”
- Sartre – a French occupational surname, also meaning “tailor.”
- Sarver – a great Jewish name for a “server, caterer.”
- Sastre – is the Spanish term for a “tailor.”
- Satō – the most common Japanese surname, with elements meaning “help” and “wisteria.”
- Saucier – of French roots, denoting a sauce-making chef.
- Saufhaus – a German surname meaning “drink house,” perhaps found down the pub.
- Saunders – from the same stem as Alexander, meaning “defender of man.”
- Saur – meaning “sour,” this unusual German surname is tangy to say.
- Sauron – meaning “foul, awful,” this terrifying fictional name would appeal to Tolkien fans.
- Sauvageon – means “untamed, savage” for families who run wild.
- Savage – of Norman roots, this name also means “wild, fierce, uncontrolled.”
- Savchenko – a Russian name meaning “son of Savka.”
- Savić – common in Serbia, meaning “son of Sava.”
- Sawyer – this great literary name would traditionally be given to someone who saws wood.
- Saxon – like the Old Germanic tribe, sounds sharp with its meaning of “knife.”
- Sayegh – an Arabic surname meaning “goldsmith.”
- Sayer – this occupational surname means “carpenter.”
- Scamander – this notable Harry Potter surname was also borne by a river god in Greek mythology.
- Schäfer – meaning “shepherd,” this German surname sounds cozy and pure.
- Scheepers – meaning “shepherd,” this surname is of Dutch origin.
- Schiavone – is a great Italian surname if you have “Slavic” roots.
- Schiffer – a fun-to-say German surname, meaning “boatman, skipper.”
- Schimmelpfennig – very specifically used for someone who lets their pennies become riddled with mold.
- Schindler – meaning “shingle,” perhaps referring to roofers.
- Schinzel – a German occupational surname meaning “weaver.”
- Schipper – like Schiffer, this German surname means “skipper.”
- Schlachter – this meaty German surname means “butcher, slaughterer.”
- Schlau – a “cunning, crafty, smart” name to give to a prankster family.
- Schleimer – for a glue maker, this surname is of German origin.
- Schlosser – another German occupational surname, meaning “locksmith” or “metal worker.”
- Schmid – this form of Smith is particularly common in Austria.
- Schmidbauer – a double occupational surname, meaning “blacksmith” and “farmer.”
- Schmidt – the cool German version of Smith, meaning “blacksmith.”
- Schmidtke – a Germanic “smith” name with a unique spelling to really wrap your head around.
- Schmiedel – or Schmieden, both German surnames from the Smith stem.
- Schmitz – a spelling variant of Schmitt, with the same honest meaning.
- Schmitzer – as Schmitz, but longer.
- Schneider – this German occupational surname means “tailor.”
- Schnitzer – means “carver” in German.
- Schroder – another “tailor” name with North German origins.
- Schubert – meaning “shoemaker,” this occupational surname sounds kind of cute.
- Schultze – a high-profile German name for a “sheriff” or “constable.”
- Schulze – also means “constable,” for families with status.
- Schumacher – this cool and honest family name means “shoemaker.”
- Schumann – an Old German and Jewish name meaning “shoemaker.”
- Schürmann – a cozy Old German name for a “sheep-shearer.”
- Schuster – another sweet entry among surnames beginning with “Schu-,” meaning “cobbler, shoemaker.”
- Schwarz – a dark name for an alluring, “black-haried” family.
- Schwarzenegger – this famous surname relates to the Swiss village of Schwarzenegg.
- Schwarzkopf – also meaning “black-haired,” this name sounds rich and sexy.
- Scipione – from the Latin “scipio,” this surname weirdly means “walking stick.”
- Scola – an Italian surname meaning “school, place of education.”
- Scott – a great name to give a person “from Scotland.”
- Scout – this cute literary name has inquisitive, military connotations.
- Scrimgeour – a Scottish clan name rooted in Old English, meaning “fencer, swordsman.”
- Scriver – is great for a wordsmith family, meaning “writer, scribe.”
- Scrubb – refers to a “scrub, shrub,” or “brush.”
- Seacole – meaning “sea coal,” this Middle English surname sounds somewhat rustic.
- Segura – this tough Spanish name means “safe, secure.”
- SeLanmere – this unique surname belonged to “the Pale Knight” from D&D Forgotten Realms.
- Senaca – meaning “old,” this surname carries wisdom and expertise.
- Sepp – is an Estonian variant of Smith.
- Seppänen – is a Finnish form of Smith, for a “blacksmith.”
- Sergeant – meaning “servant,” this Old French surname later became a military rank.
- Serra – meaning “saw,” this Italian name would traditionally be given to a carpenter.
- Serrano – a common Spanish surname meaning “highlander,” for true adventurers.
- Serranò – separately, an Italian surname for a family hailing from a place named Serra.
- Serrurier – a French occupational surname for a “locksmith.”
- Severus – reminding us of the Harry Potter antagonist, this name means “stern.”
- Sextus – is a Roman family and forename meaning “sixth.”
- Seymour – means “marshy land by the sea,” from the name of a French town.
- Shacklebolt – a metallic piece used for a locking mechanism, a surname in Harry Potter.
- Shamrock – a rare name, after the Irish clover symbol of good luck.
- Shan – this punchy surname has various international origins and vampiric connotations.
- Shannon – after the Irish river and place, with beautiful meanings, including “wise river” and “skilled storyteller.”
- Shapoval – this Ukranian name denotes the maker of a type of felt hat.
- Sharp – a great, 5-letter name for an individual who’s “smart, sharp, quick.”
- Shaughnessy – of unknown meaning, rooted in the traditional Irish surname Ó Seachnasaigh.
- Shaver – a spelling variant of Schaefer, meaning “shepherd.”
- Shaw – this rustic British name is for a family who “dwells by the wood.”
- Shay – a sassy variant of the Irish Shea, with Hebrew roots.
- Shea – meaning “learned, favorable,” this short, earthy surname is easily desirable.
- Shearer – for someone who reaps crops or shears sheep, perhaps.
- Shehu – this gentle “priest” name is one of the most common surnames in Albania.
- Shelley – means “meadow’s edge,” a U.K. place name and surname.
- Shepherd – an easy Anglo-Saxon occupational surname, for someone who herded or reared sheep.
- Sheridan – meaning “descendant of the searcher,” this may also be used as a trendy given name.
- Sherman – was traditionally given as a “shearer of cloth.”
- Sherwood – like the famous forest, meaning “bright, clear wood.”
- Shevchenko – means “the shoemaker’s,” which is very common in Ukraine.
- Shevchuk – is a Ukrainian surname for a “son of the shoemaker.”
- Shipp – meaning “ship,” perhaps for a sailor or mariner.
- Shriver – similar to Shriver, an occupational surname for a “writer, scribe.”
- Shunpike – also used in Harry Potter, this surname refers to a side road on a highway.
- Shuttleworth – an English name meaning “gated enclosure.”
- Sibley – a dazzling surname, meaning “seer, prophet, oracle.”
- Siciliano – a nice locational Italian name for a family “from Sicily.”
- Sidebottom – an English name, perhaps referring to a large valley base.
- Sideras – a Greek form of Smith, for hard-working families.
- Sidney – an Old English surname and gender-neutral given name, meaning “wide watered land.”
- Sierra – great for over-achievers, this word means “mountain range” in Spanish.
- Silas – meaning “forest,” this Latin-rooted name is sexy and slick.
- Silbereisen – a German surname meaning “silver iron.”
- Silva – a common Portuguese surname meaning “forest,” full of sparkle.
- Silvester – with Latin roots, this name is “wooded, wild” in nature.
- Silvestri – meaning “son of Sylester.”
- Simić – from Serbia and Croatia, this patronymic means “son of Simo.”
- Simões – means “son of Simaõ,” from Portugal.
- Simon – taken from the familiar biblical boy name, meaning “he has heard.”
- Simonson – or Simonsen, meaning “son of Simon.”
- Şimşek – a snappy Turkish surname meaning “lightning.”
- Sinclair – meaning “pure, illustrious, renowned,” as a nice nod to Saint Clair.
- Singh – this common Sanskrit surname has the powerful meaning of “lion.”
- Sinistra – a star-inspired surname, meaning “to the left.”
- Sîrbu – this Romanian surname denotes a “Serb.”
- Sixten – an Old Swedish name, meaning “stone of victory.”
- Skeeter – a slang term for a “mosquito” in northern America.
- Skinner – a graphic occupational name for someone who skinned or stripped hide from animals.
- Skipper – for a basket-maker, this occupational name comes from Middle English.
- Skylar – also pretty as a given name, meaning “scholar.”
- Slater – a tough, enduring surname for someone who works with slate.
- Slaughter – a vicious name traditionally given to a butcher.
- Sloane – a confident Irish surname, meaning “leader, warrior.”
- Slughorn – a type of instrument and Scottish surname, meaning “war cry.”
- Sluiter – meaning “close,” this Dutch surname would traditionally be used for a doorkeeper or warden.
- Slytherin – like the shady Hogwarts house from the Harry Potter franchise.
- Small – this descriptor name may have traditionally been given to a short or slender person.
- Smallman – like Small, yet with the personable “-man” suffix.
- Smart – a wise name for a family of clever clogs!
- Šmicer – a Czech variant of Smith.
- Smidt – a Germanic variant of Smith, used internationally.
- Smirnov – a very common surname in Russia, meaning “gentle, quiet, peaceful.”
- Smit – or Smits, both Dutch variants of Smith.
- Smith – one of the most common surnames of English-speaking countries, meaning “blacksmith.”
- Smithers – another, longer variant of Smith.
- Smithson – a patronymic surname meaning “son of the smith.”
- Smyth – an old yet cool-looking spelling alternative to Smith.
- Snape – with various origins, including Old English (“boggy land”) or Old Norse (“to dishonor, disgrace”).
- Snijders – with a great spelling, this Dutch surname means “cutter.”
- Snow – beautiful and fresh among last names, starting with S, inspired by winter.
- Soares – a Portuguese form of Suarez, meaning “son of Soeiro.”
- Socrates – this rare surname is best associated with the noted Greek moral philosopher.
- Solis – derived from “sol,” this Spanish word brightly means “sun.”
- Solomon – this beautiful international name carries so much “peace.”
- Solovyov – a common surname in Russia, relating to the “nightingale.”
- Somerset – a proper English place name, meaning “summer settlement.”
- Sommer – a hot German surname with all the adventure of “summer.”
- Sondheim – a German place name, that reminds us of the iconic composer Stephen.
- Soprano – this famous Italian name means “higher, above.”
- Soranus – a Latin name for a family hailing “from Sora.”
- Sørensen – meaning “son of Søren,” a classically Scandinavian surname.
- Soros – a rich Hungarian surname for a “designated successor.”
- Sorrentino – for an Italian family “from Sorrento.”
- Sosa – a Spanish form of the Portuguese surname Sousa.
- Soto – this Hispanic surname enchants in its meaning of “wood, a grove of trees.”
- Soulsby – comes from the British place name Soulby.
- Sousa – after the Portuguese Sousa River, whose name perhaps means “salty.”
- Southcott – means “southern cottage,” after various U.K. place names.
- Southern – this direction-inspired surname is full of hometown charm.
- Sow – a 3-letter S surname originating in West Africa, commonly heard in Belgium.
- Spada – a great occupational name for a swordsman, meaning “sword” in Italian.
- Spain – a great international-inspired surname, perhaps for English people with ties to that country.
- Spangler – an Old German name for someone who makes buckles.
- Spanos – famously borne by the Greek American owners of the San Diego Chargers.
- Spark – was traditionally used for a family who lived near shrubs or brushwood.
- Sparks – like Spark, yet with an almost electric feel to it.
- Sparrow – like the bird, famously borne by fictional pirate Captain Jack.
- Sparshott – this sharp surname consists of elements meaning “spear” and “woodland.”
- Sparta – a badass name, great for a Spartan family.
- Spartalis – a variant of Sparta, with the same, locational meaning.
- Spaulding – a U.K. surname rooted in the place name Spalding.
- Speakes – after a British town name, meaning “twig, branch.”
- Speelman – a charming Dutch surname for a “musician, performer.”
- Spence – an old surname for a pantry servant or dispensor.
- Spencer – a great given, middle, and last name, for a “steward” or “administrator.”
- Spengler – this German surname means “metal worker.”
- Spicer – a hot surname for someone who sold or traded in spices.
- Spider – a cool and creepy surname to remember.
- Spielberg – this German-rooted surname reminds us of the famed movie director Steven.
- Spielmann – a funny German surname for a “jester.”
- Spiewak – a Polish surname for a “singer.”
- Spindler – means “spindle maker,” unique among occupational names that start with S.
- Spinnet – a rare name, perhaps from the type of piano known as a “spinet.”
- Spivak – a smart Ukranian surname meaning “singer.”
- Springborn – a medieval German surname for a person living near, or born in a spring.
- Springstein – a famous surname meaning “jump stone.”
- Sprout – an uppity sort of surname, great for a green-fingered gardener.
- Squire – for a “shield-bearer,” like the Old English title rank.
- Squirrell – a cute surname, reminding us of the curious woodland animal.
- Staal – a Dutch surname meaning “steel.”
- Stacy – a common given and surname from the same stem as Eustace, meaning “steadfast.”
- Stadtler – a down-to-earth name, meaning “barn.”
- Stafford – from the English place, meaning “place by the ford.”
- Stallion – this “stallion” surname carries all kinds of proud and possibly promiscuous undertones.
- Stamos – this celebrity surname has Greek origins, maybe meaning “stop.”
- Stankiewicz – a Polish surname relating to the name Stanislaw, carrying all the “glory.”
- Stanković – a common Slavic name meaning “son of Stanko.”
- Stanley – a friendly Old English name meaning “stone clearing.”
- Stanton – meaning “stone settlement,” a commonplace name in the U.K.
- Starling – a pretty name that relates to a type of bird.
- Starr – a stellar name for a family that shines bright.
- Stassinopoulos – a great Greek-American surname, belonging to the co-founder of The Huffington Post.
- Stavros – relating to the cross of Christ, a powerful Greek given name and surname.
- Stefanidis – means “son of Stefanos.”
- Stein – a strong, 5-letter German surname meaning “rock, stone.”
- Steiner – for a person who “dwells by the stone.”
- Stembridge – this 10-letter English surname means “stone bridge.”
- Stephanidis – another possible spelling of Stefanidis.
- Stephanopoulos – also means “son of Stephan,” well-recognized among longer Greek surnames.
- Stephens – means “son of Stephan,” after the Greek-rooted name meaning “crown, wreath.”
- Stephenson – a longer variant of Stephens.
- Sterling – like the British currency, grade of silver, and Scottish city.
- Stetson – great for a cowboy family, meaning “fighter, boxer.”
- Stevens – another spelling of Stephens, also meaning “son of Steven.”
- Stevenson – also meaning “son of Steven,” yet longer.
- Stewart – an Old Scottish name meaning “steward.”
- Stich – a German occupational name for a “tailor” or maybe “cobbler.”
- Stirling – taken from the Scottish town name.
- Stoddard – a frumpy surname, used for someone who worked with horses.
- Stoica – sounding rather stoic, a very common surname in Romania.
- Stojanović – meaning “son of Stojan,” common in Serbia.
- Stoker – meaning “fire-tender,” famously belonging to Bram, the Irish creator of Dracula.
- Stolyar – a Russian surname meaning “carpenter, joiner.”
- Stone – a 5-letter surname for someone who may have lived near a particular stone formation.
- Storey – meaning “large, big,” this Norse-rooted name is full of imagination.
- Stott – means “cattle,” perhaps for a breeder or someone with bullish tendencies.
- Straight – an English vocabulary surname, perhaps for a “strict, well-to-do” individual.
- Strick – this 6-letter German surname means “rope maker.”
- Striker – this trendy, 7-letter name sounds fit for soccer players.
- Stuart – a spelling alternative to Stewart, famously associated with the 1600s British royal house.
- Stubbs – for a person who lives near a tree stump.
- Sturgeon – an 8-letter English name, like the type of fish.
- Su – a common Chinese surname with various meanings, including “respectful,” “revive,” and “plain, simple.”
- Suárez – meaning “son of Suero,” is powerful among Spanish surnames.
- Subotić – a particularly common Serb surname, perhaps meaning “Saturday.”
- Sufian – this Islamic name means “fast-moving” or “companion, friend.”
- Sugar – the sweetest surname to behold.
- Sugg – a funny English surname suggested to mean “sparrow-like.”
- Suiter – another cool occupational surname meaning “shoemaker,” of German roots.
- Suleman – a devout Arabic name meaning “man of peace.”
- Suljić – meaning “son of Suliman,” another strong Bosniak patronymic.
- Sullivan – this Irish surname intriguingly means “dark eyes.”
- Sultanov – a powerful Turkic surname, meaning “son of Sultan.”
- Summerfield – a pretty surname, making us think of a sunny open meadow.
- Sumner – this traditional surname means “summoner.”
- Surugiu – this Romanian surname means “charioteer.”
- Sutherland – an Old Scottish clan name referring to “land to the south.”
- Sutton – a cozy, 6-letter place name, meaning “southern farm.”
- Suutari – a Finnish entry among surnames starting with S, meaning “shoemaker.”
- Svensson – a typically Swedish surname, meaning “son of Sven.”
- Svizzera – an awesome Italian surname referring to someone “from Switzerland.”
- Svoboda – a very common surname in Czechia, meaning “freeholder, liberty.”
- Swales – taken from the name of a river that runs through Yorkshire, U.K.
- Swan – or Swann, both elegant, bird-inspired surnames.
- Sweeney – a Gaelic surname meaning “descendant of Suibhne,” meaning “pleasant.”
- Swift – from an old nickname, perhaps for a “quick, fast, swift” moving person.
- Swithin – a rare English name meaning “strong, quick.”
- Syed – this powerful Arabic name and honorific means “king, noble one.”
- Sykes – from the same stem as the word “sike,” meaning “stream, ditch.”
- Sylvester – a spelling variant of Silvester, also used as a given name.
- Szymański – this Portuguese name comes from the same stem as Simon.
