
Origin, Meaning, And History of Seth
With a strong potential as a middle name, the name Seth is a boy’s name of Hebrew origin which means ‘appointed’ or ‘placed.’ Seth was also used as a surname among the ancient Scottish people, derived from the Gaelic first name ‘Sithech,’ which means ‘wolf.’
The name Seth has multiple variations that may act as modern substitutes for the name. These include Said, Sid, Ced, Saad, Syd, Saaed, Zed, and Seb.
In the Hebrew Bible, Seth was the third son of Adam and Eve and the brother of Cain and Abel. As per Genesis, Seth was born shortly after the murder of Abel by Cain. Hence, he is commemorated as one of the Holy Forefathers in the Calendar of Saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church due to his likeness with Abel. God sent him to heal the family after the loss of Abel as a replacement. Seth also figures in the pseudepigraphic texts of ‘The Life of Adam and Eve,’ which recounts the lives of Adam and Eve after being expelled from The Garden of Eden after their death.
In the Ancient Egyptian religion, Set or Seth is considered to be the God of deserts, storms, violence, and disorder. In Ancient Greek, the name Set is given to a deity accompanying Ra (the ancient Egyptian God of the Sun) to repel Apep (the deity or Serpent of Chaos). Seth is also believed to be the ancestor of Noah, thereby making him the father of mankind.
The name came in England in the late Middle Ages after being popularized by the Puritans after the Protestant Reformation. The Puritans often give the name Seth to the child who was born after the death of an older sibling to keep a Biblical reference as a child who replaced Abel.
We can find the name Seth in the ‘Twilight Saga’ in the character of Seth Clearwater, who was first introduced in ‘New Moon’ as Leah’s younger brother and one of the youngest members of Sam Uley’s wolf pack. Seth Bede is also a literary fictional character appearing in the 1859 novel ‘Adam Bede’ by George Eliot, where Seth, the brother of the protagonist Adam, is a local carpenter living in Hayslope.
How To Pronounce Seth?
Famous People With The Name Seth
- Seth CurryAmerican professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the NBA
- Seth GreenAmerican actor famous for his voice in the Emmy-winning ‘Robot Chicken’ series
- Seth RogenCanadian-American actor, comedian, filmmaker, and an Emmy nominee known for his popular work ‘Superbad’
- Seth Mac FarlaneAmerican actor, animator, filmmaker, creator, and primetime Emmy award winner for ‘The Family Guy’
- Seth LowAmerican educator and the former Mayor of Brooklyn
- Colby Lopez (Seth Rollins)American professional wrestler, popularly known as Seth Rollins
Seth On The Popularity Chart
The graphs below explain the popularity and ranking of the name Seth.
Popularity Over Time
The name Seth has remained a popular name since the 1900s, with its peak popularity in 2000. Its popularity has been consistently declining over the next two decades.
Source: Social Security AdministrationRank Over Time
As its popularity decreased after 2000, Seth also lost its ranking over the years. Check out the graph below to learn how it fared well in terms of ranking.
Source: Social Security AdministrationNames With Similar Sound As Seth
Before moving ahead, look at these similar-sounding names as Seth you may want to consider for the younger sibling of your baby boy.
Names With Similar Meaning As Seth
Are you searching for a name that means appointed other than Seth? Here are some preferable choices for your tiny tot.
Name Numerology For Seth


