Sebastian

Sebastian is a Latin name derived from the Greek Sebastianos, meaning "from Sebaste," a city in ancient Asia Minor whose own name comes from the Greek sebastos, meaning "venerable" or "revered," the Greek equivalent of the Latin augustus. The name gained widespread use in Christian Europe largely through the veneration of Saint Sebastian, a third-century Roman soldier and martyr whose story became enormously popular in medieval and Renaissance art. The name spread across many European languages and cultures, producing forms such as Sebastián in Spanish, Sébastien in French, Bastian in German, and Sebastiano in Italian. Bastian and Seb remain common short forms in modern use.