Sebastian

See also: Sebastián

English

Etymology

From Latin Sebastiānus, name of an early Christian saint, from ancient city of Sebaste in Asia Minor (modern Sivas, Turkey), from Ancient Greek Σεβαστός (Sebastós, “august, venerable, exalted”), itself a translation of the Roman title Augustus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /səˈbæst͡ʃən/
• (UK, Australia, New Zealand) IPA^(key): /sɪˈbæsti.ən/
• (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA^(key): (variant) /sɪˈbæs.tʃən/

• Audio (UK):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Se‧bas‧ti‧an

Proper noun

Sebastian

1. A male given name from Latin or Ancient Greek.
   • c. 1601–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You Will”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:

     Of Messaline: Sebastian was my father; / Such a Sebastian was my brother too, / So went he suited to his watery tomb.

   • 1968, Robin Maugham, The Second Window, McGraw - Hill, page 275:

     I was hoping the man would have some romantic name like Sebastian or Julian. However, as a surname Fletcher's all right.

   • 2016, Nathan Hill, The Nix: A novel, Vintage, →ISBN, page 596:

     “She was a new student. I was a counterculture hero. Back then I went by a different name. Sebastian. Sexy, right? And so much better than Guy. You can't be a counterculture hero and a Guy. That name is way too average. […]

2. A town in the City of Greater Bendigo and the Shire of Loddon, central Victoria, Australia

Derived terms

• Bastian
• Seb

Related terms

• San Sebastian

Translations

given name

Albanian: Sebastián m, Sevastián m, Masján m Bulgarian: Себастиан m (Sebastian), Себастиян m (Sebastijan), Себастян m (Sebastjan) Catalan: Sebastià (ca) m Chinese: Mandarin: 塞巴斯蒂安 (zh) (Sàibāsīdì'ān) Czech: Šebestián m Danish: Sebastian Dutch: Sebastiaan (nl) Esperanto: Sebastiano French: Sébastien (fr) German: Sebastian (de) Greek: Σεβαστιανός (el) m (Sevastianós) Hungarian: Sebestyén (hu) Italian: Sebastiano (it) Konkani: सेबेस्तांव (sebestāuva) Macedonian: Себастијан m (Sebastijan) Norwegian: Sebastian (no) Occitan: Sebastian Persian: سباستین (sebâstiyan) Polish: Sebastian (pl) m Portuguese: Sebastião (pt) m Romanian: Sebastian m Russian: Севастья́н m (Sevastʹján), Севастиа́н m (Sevastián), Себастья́н (ru) m (Sebastʹján) Sicilian: Vastianu Sorbian: Upper Sorbian: Bosćij m Spanish: Sebastián (es) Swedish: Sebastian (sv) Venetan: Bastian (vec) m

Anagrams

• bassanite, sabatines, basanites

Danish

Etymology

From Latin Sebastianus.

Proper noun

Sebastian

1. a male given name

Derived terms

• Bastian (diminutive)

Faroese

Proper noun

Sebastian m

1. a male given name

Usage notes

Patronymics

• son of Sebastian: Sebastiansson
• daughter of Sebastian: Sebastiansdóttir

Declension

	singular
	indefinite
nominative	Sebastian
accusative	Sebastian
dative	Sebastiani
genitive	Sebastians

Derived terms

• Bastian (diminutive)

Finnish

Etymology

From Latin Sebastianus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsebɑstiɑn/, [ˈs̠e̞bɑ̝s̠ˌtiɑ̝n]
• Rhymes: -iɑn
• Syllabification^(key): Se‧bas‧ti‧an
• Hyphenation^(key): Se‧bas‧ti‧an

Proper noun

Sebastian

1. a male given name

Declension

Inflection of Sebastian (Kotus type 6/paperi, no gradation)
nominative		Sebastian	Sebastianit
genitive		Sebastianin	Sebastianien Sebastianeiden Sebastianeitten
partitive		Sebastiania	Sebastianeita Sebastianeja
illative		Sebastianiin	Sebastianeihin
		singular	plural
nominative		Sebastian	Sebastianit
accusative	nom.	Sebastian	Sebastianit
	gen.	Sebastianin
genitive		Sebastianin	Sebastianien Sebastianeiden Sebastianeitten
partitive		Sebastiania	Sebastianeita Sebastianeja
inessive		Sebastianissa	Sebastianeissa
elative		Sebastianista	Sebastianeista
illative		Sebastianiin	Sebastianeihin
adessive		Sebastianilla	Sebastianeilla
ablative		Sebastianilta	Sebastianeilta
allative		Sebastianille	Sebastianeille
essive		Sebastianina	Sebastianeina
translative		Sebastianiksi	Sebastianeiksi
abessive		Sebastianitta	Sebastianeitta
instructive		—	Sebastianein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of Sebastian (Kotus type 6/paperi, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Sebastianini Sebastianini accusative nom. Sebastianini Sebastianini gen. Sebastianini genitive Sebastianini Sebastianieni Sebastianeideni Sebastianeitteni partitive Sebastianiani Sebastianeitani Sebastianejani inessive Sebastianissani Sebastianeissani elative Sebastianistani Sebastianeistani illative Sebastianiini Sebastianeihini adessive Sebastianillani Sebastianeillani ablative Sebastianiltani Sebastianeiltani allative Sebastianilleni Sebastianeilleni essive Sebastianinani Sebastianeinani translative Sebastianikseni Sebastianeikseni abessive Sebastianittani Sebastianeittani instructive — — comitative — Sebastianeineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Sebastianisi Sebastianisi accusative nom. Sebastianisi Sebastianisi gen. Sebastianisi genitive Sebastianisi Sebastianiesi Sebastianeidesi Sebastianeittesi partitive Sebastianiasi Sebastianeitasi Sebastianejasi inessive Sebastianissasi Sebastianeissasi elative Sebastianistasi Sebastianeistasi illative Sebastianiisi Sebastianeihisi adessive Sebastianillasi Sebastianeillasi ablative Sebastianiltasi Sebastianeiltasi allative Sebastianillesi Sebastianeillesi essive Sebastianinasi Sebastianeinasi translative Sebastianiksesi Sebastianeiksesi abessive Sebastianittasi Sebastianeittasi instructive — — comitative — Sebastianeinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Sebastianimme Sebastianimme accusative nom. Sebastianimme Sebastianimme gen. Sebastianimme genitive Sebastianimme Sebastianiemme Sebastianeidemme Sebastianeittemme partitive Sebastianiamme Sebastianeitamme Sebastianejamme inessive Sebastianissamme Sebastianeissamme elative Sebastianistamme Sebastianeistamme illative Sebastianiimme Sebastianeihimme adessive Sebastianillamme Sebastianeillamme ablative Sebastianiltamme Sebastianeiltamme allative Sebastianillemme Sebastianeillemme essive Sebastianinamme Sebastianeinamme translative Sebastianiksemme Sebastianeiksemme abessive Sebastianittamme Sebastianeittamme instructive — — comitative — Sebastianeinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Sebastianinne Sebastianinne accusative nom. Sebastianinne Sebastianinne gen. Sebastianinne genitive Sebastianinne Sebastianienne Sebastianeidenne Sebastianeittenne partitive Sebastianianne Sebastianeitanne Sebastianejanne inessive Sebastianissanne Sebastianeissanne elative Sebastianistanne Sebastianeistanne illative Sebastianiinne Sebastianeihinne adessive Sebastianillanne Sebastianeillanne ablative Sebastianiltanne Sebastianeiltanne allative Sebastianillenne Sebastianeillenne essive Sebastianinanne Sebastianeinanne translative Sebastianiksenne Sebastianeiksenne abessive Sebastianittanne Sebastianeittanne instructive — — comitative — Sebastianeinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative Sebastianinsa Sebastianinsa accusative nom. Sebastianinsa Sebastianinsa gen. Sebastianinsa genitive Sebastianinsa Sebastianiensa Sebastianeidensa Sebastianeittensa partitive Sebastianiaan Sebastianiansa Sebastianeitaan Sebastianejaan Sebastianeitansa Sebastianejansa inessive Sebastianissaan Sebastianissansa Sebastianeissaan Sebastianeissansa elative Sebastianistaan Sebastianistansa Sebastianeistaan Sebastianeistansa illative Sebastianiinsa Sebastianeihinsa adessive Sebastianillaan Sebastianillansa Sebastianeillaan Sebastianeillansa ablative Sebastianiltaan Sebastianiltansa Sebastianeiltaan Sebastianeiltansa allative Sebastianilleen Sebastianillensa Sebastianeilleen Sebastianeillensa essive Sebastianinaan Sebastianinansa Sebastianeinaan Sebastianeinansa translative Sebastianikseen Sebastianiksensa Sebastianeikseen Sebastianeiksensa abessive Sebastianittaan Sebastianittansa Sebastianeittaan Sebastianeittansa instructive — — comitative — Sebastianeineen Sebastianeinensa

Statistics

• Sebastian is the 182^nd most common male given name in Finland, belonging to 3,433 male individuals (and as a middle name to 11,918 more, making it more common as a middle name), and also belongs to 6 female individuals (and as a middle name to 24 more, making it more common as a middle name), according to August 2025 data from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of Finland.

German

Etymology

From Latin Sebastiānus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /zeˈbasti̯an/ (Germany)

  • Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

    (file)

• IPA^(key): /seˈbasti̯an/, [-b̥as-] (Austria, Southern Germany, Switzerland)
• Hyphenation: Se‧bas‧ti‧an; pre-1996: Se‧ba‧sti‧an

Proper noun

Sebastian

1. a male given name

Coordinate terms

• Sebastienne (feminine form)

Derived terms

• Bastian (diminutive)

Norwegian

Etymology

From Latin Sebastianus. Recorded as a given name in Norway since the 17th century.

Proper noun

Sebastian

1. a male given name

Polish

Etymology

From Latin Sebastianus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sɛˈbas.tjan/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -astjan
• Syllabification: Se‧bas‧tian

Proper noun

Sebastian m

1. a male given name

Declension

Declension of Sebastian

	singular	plural
nominative	Sebastian	Sebastianowie
genitive	Sebastiana	Sebastianów
dative	Sebastianowi	Sebastianom
accusative	Sebastiana	Sebastianów
instrumental	Sebastianem	Sebastianami
locative	Sebastianie	Sebastianach
vocative	Sebastianie	Sebastianowie

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian Sebastiano, from Latin Sebastianus.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Proper noun

Sebastian m (genitive/dative lui Sebastian)

1. a surname

References

• Iordan, Iorgu (1983), Dicționar al numelor de familie românești [A Dictionary of Romanian Family Names]‎, Bucharest: Editura Științifică și Enciclopedică

Swedish

Etymology

From Latin Sebastianus.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Proper noun

Sebastian c (genitive Sebastians)

1. a male given name

References

• Statistiska centralbyrån and Sture Allén, Staffan Wåhlin, Förnamnsboken, Norstedts 1995, →ISBN: 34 292 males with the given name Sebastian living in Sweden on December 31st, 2010, with the frequency peak in the 1990s. Accessed on 19 June 2011.