Sebastian

Traditionally linked to ‘from Sebaste’ and, by extension, to ideas like ‘venerable’ in Greek/Latin tradition.

Sebastian is a classic masculine name used widely across Europe and in English-speaking countries. It has a long history in Christian contexts as well, which helped it spread and remain recognizable over time, even as local spellings varied. Etymologically, Sebastian traces back to Greek Sebastianos, meaning ‘from Sebaste’, and Sebaste itself is related to sebastos, a Greek term often glossed as ‘venerable’ or ‘revered’. That chain (place-name → adjective → personal name) is why you’ll see both geographic and honorific-style explanations in references. In English, a common pronunciation is seh-BAS-chən. It’s also nickname-friendly (Seb is widely used), and it’s worth noting that stress and vowel quality can shift slightly across languages.

Etymology: From Greek Sebastianos, ‘of Sebaste’ (a place name). Sebaste relates to Greek sebastos, often glossed as ‘venerable’ or ‘revered’, later carried through Latin and European usage.