Sceva as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Sceva

What is the meaning of the name Sceva ?

The baby name Sceva is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈskiːvə/ (SKEE-vuh); sometimes heard as /ˈsiːvə/ (SEE-vuh).

Sceva is Biblical in Origin.

Sceva (pronounced SEE-vuh) is a rare masculine name best known from the New Testament (Acts 19:14), where Sceva is identified as a Jewish chief priest at Ephesus. Its form in the Greek text is Σκευᾶς (Skeuas), very likely reflecting the Latin cognomen Scaeva. As a Latin name, Scaeva derives from scaevus, “left-handed,” a term that in Classical usage could also imply “unlucky,” though later users would have heard mostly the neutral, physical sense. A competing, less supported derivation connects it to Greek skeuos/skeuē, “vessel, equipment,” perhaps as a nickname.

Outside Scripture, the name shows little documented use in either Jewish or Christian communities, and modern adoption remains extremely uncommon. Variants include Scaeva (Latin), Skeva or Skevas (transliterations from Greek), and the Anglicized Sceva; diminutives are not traditional. The single biblical reference gives Sceva niche appeal for parents seeking an obscure, text-anchored name with a Roman flavor.

⚙ Sceva is a genuine rarity. We hold just 4 recorded uses of it, from 1 country.