Sebastian

Derived from the Greek Sebastianos, denoting an inhabitant of Sebastia, a city in Asia Minor named after the Greek word for venerable. The name circulated through continental Europe for centuries, later appearing in English drama through characters in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and The Tempest. American record keepers saw only occasional instances until the late twentieth century, when registrations shifted decisively into the mainstream.

The name reads as someone who should own an antique cello or a serious library card. In reality, more than half of all living bearers belong to Generation Alpha, with an average age sitting firmly at fourteen. A modern Sebastian is far less likely to compose a concerto than to lose a gym shoe under a middle-school bleacher. The cadence remains formal, but the demographic is busy finishing eighth-grade algebra.