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Sem as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Sem

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The baby name Sem is a Male name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced /sɛm/ (SEHM; rhymes with "gem").

Sem is Hebrew in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 1.0
Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: /sɛm/ (SEHM; rhymes with "gem")

What is the meaning of the name Sem ?

The baby name Sem is a Male name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced /sɛm/ (SEHM; rhymes with "gem").

Sem is Hebrew in Origin.

Sem is the Dutch form of the biblical name Shem (Hebrew Shem, “name,” extended to “fame” or “renown”). In the Hebrew Bible, Shem is a son of Noah and the eponymous ancestor behind the term “Semitic.” The spelling Sem reflects the Latin Vulgate and many European Bible traditions, while English typically uses Shem. Meaning centers on reputation and good name, a culturally positive virtue in Hebrew thought.

Usage was sporadic in earlier centuries but surged in the Netherlands from the late 1990s, becoming a Top 10 favorite through the 2000s and 2010s, and is also familiar in Flanders. Outside Dutch-speaking regions it appears occasionally, sometimes chosen for its crisp, modern sound. Variants and equivalents include Shem (English/Hebrew) and Sem in various Bible-based spellings; related by practice (though not etymology) are Sam and Samuel, with which Sem is sometimes informally conflated.

Sem has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Sem

Semmy Schilt Actor · Born 1973 · Kingdom of the Netherlands Sem "Semmy" Schilt is a Dutch former kickboxer and mixed martial artist best known for being a four-time K-1 World Grand Prix Champion and a Glory Heavyweight Grand Slam Champion. He is also notable for winning five major heavyweight tournaments, a rare achievement in combat sports.

Sem – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
KH Boys 0 #8 2 270
NA 0 #31 3 2,537
NA Boys 0 #74 198 6,830
AO 0 #76 2 2,729
BG 0 #81 2 1,799
JM 0 #93 1 3,714
KZ 0 #94 1 1,452
OM 0 #121 1 6,215
EE Boys 0 #125 1 2,087
AZ Boys 0 #130 2 1,400
ID Boys 0 #133 3 4,130
Switzerland Boys 2024 #134 4 1,769
MU 0 #137 1 3,613
RS Girls 0 #137 1 1,651
BN Boys 0 #138 2 6,332
Belgium Boys 2024 #140 49 401
NL Boys 0 #166 2,521 5,873
HU Boys 0 #173 2 3,954
MT Boys 0 #176 4 4,064
Sweden Boys 2021 #182 2 1,578
CZ 0 #186 1 3,154
LU Girls 0 #190 1 4,850
RU 0 #192 3 3,641
BG Boys 0 #209 11 3,850
SI Boys 0 #209 3 3,402
NA Girls 0 #214 11 7,146
LU Boys 0 #218 3 4,970
AL Girls 0 #226 2 4,141
BG Girls 0 #228 4 3,559
IR 0 #231 1 4,221
MO Boys 0 #234 1 5,842
AO Boys 0 #244 6 5,568
EC Boys 0 #246 1 3,322
GH 0 #248 1 5,396
PT 0 #248 3 4,161
JP Girls 0 #251 1 6,592
TW Boys 0 #253 4 7,111
KZ Boys 0 #254 36 6,578
HR Boys 0 #259 1 3,997
NG 0 #272 1 5,926
GR Boys 0 #273 1 6,912
IL 0 #281 2 6,291
SG 0 #281 2 11,010
AL Boys 0 #287 12 5,122
TW Girls 0 #288 2 8,139
JP Boys 0 #299 5 7,909
CZ Boys 0 #305 1 6,530
SA 0 #306 7 10,560
RU Boys 0 #313 209 12,621
Canada Boys 2020 #316 7 2,548
KZ Girls 0 #326 7 5,862
CN Boys 0 #328 4 9,639
DK Girls 0 #329 1 7,429
NL 0 #329 63 2,481
PE 0 #329 1 6,350
DK Boys 0 #331 2 7,401
GH Girls 0 #336 2 6,973
GT 0 #338 1 5,948
JO Girls 0 #338 2 7,570
PL Boys 0 #338 3 6,459
QA Girls 0 #339 5 15,378
EG 0 #342 59 6,387
MU Boys 0 #342 16 8,477
MY 0 #349 6 12,352
SD Girls 0 #354 5 7,678
GH Boys 0 #356 6 8,138
PT Boys 0 #357 11 7,951
YE 0 #358 24 8,639
EG Girls 0 #360 1,068 14,742
PL Girls 0 #364 1 5,096
France Boys 2021 #376 12 2,865
JO Boys 0 #389 1 7,057
PH Boys 0 #403 6 11,440
BD Girls 0 #405 2 8,413
BO 0 #406 3 6,868
OM Girls 0 #420 5 15,987
SD Boys 0 #422 24 10,523
PH Girls 0 #429 1 13,098
CL 0 #434 1 6,867
EG Boys 0 #442 613 15,035
MX 0 #445 1 8,339
PT Girls 0 #468 4 7,952
AR Boys 0 #482 2 7,628
RU Girls 0 #486 13 11,913
IQ Girls 0 #495 10 11,303
GT Boys 0 #497 3 7,625
PA Boys 0 #504 2 9,305
CO 0 #508 3 7,768
CR Boys 0 #508 3 10,188
PS Boys 0 #519 30 10,655
LY 0 #525 11 12,703
CM Boys 0 #531 20 12,054
AE Girls 0 #539 15 20,968
PS Girls 0 #546 2 10,981
HK Boys 0 #551 7 12,905
KW Girls 0 #553 9 19,177
CM Girls 0 #559 2 11,671
IR Boys 0 #563 3 10,162
IL Boys 0 #567 41 10,983
CR Girls 0 #572 2 11,342
BH 0 #582 6 17,937
BD Boys 0 #599 7 10,045
IL Girls 0 #608 10 11,648
BO Boys 0 #618 5 9,244
SG Girls 0 #625 8 18,916
AR Girls 0 #629 2 8,289
HK Girls 0 #648 3 16,104
IN Girls 0 #649 6 13,121
LB 0 #649 10 13,263
CL Boys 0 #655 11 13,390
Finland Boys 2026 #661 22 3,552
SG Boys 0 #671 27 17,960
IT 0 #683 32 4,183
QA Boys 0 #686 22 18,093
IQ Boys 0 #689 9 13,071
SY 0 #714 15 11,684
NL Girls 0 #716 243 5,933
SA Girls 0 #729 207 25,931
KW Boys 0 #748 22 18,755
MY Boys 0 #755 376 25,439
TN 0 #760 70 13,765
Germany Girls 0 #813 26 4,949
NG Girls 0 #826 1 15,093
PE Boys 0 #850 29 14,506
OM Boys 0 #859 23 17,948
IN Boys 0 #870 132 16,750
United States Boys 2024 #887 6 7,044
IT Boys 0 #898 611 10,046
Spain Boys 0 #902 29 5,610
CO Boys 0 #906 15 15,656
Germany Boys 0 #906 47 5,697
CL Girls 0 #915 1 14,098
MY Girls 0 #933 62 24,821
NG Boys 0 #940 12 16,906
MX Boys 0 #952 31 16,355
DZ 0 #974 203 20,130
PE Girls 0 #1,008 3 14,861
TR 0 #1,049 163 19,440
AE Boys 0 #1,060 33 22,615
MA 0 #1,063 66 20,986
ZA Boys 0 #1,080 99 25,619
ZA Girls 0 #1,124 18 25,928
CO Girls 0 #1,152 1 16,140
MX Girls 0 #1,267 1 17,781
IT Girls 0 #1,401 46 9,415
SA Boys 0 #1,438 177 28,008

Sem is popular in 80 countries — most recent births per country:

Flanders, Belgium
Belgium
Switzerland
France
United States

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Sem

Sem is predominantly a boy's name.
Sem is a one syllable name, pronounced /sɛm/ (SEHM; rhymes with "gem").
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Shem and Shēm.
Across languages, Sem has these equivalents: Shem (Hebrew), Sem (Dutch usage).
Yes — Sem ranked #134 in Switzerland in 2024, and appears in official birth registries across 7 countries.
Sem ranks highest in Switzerland (#134 in 2024).
Sem's popularity is declining significantly. It moved from #95 in 2014 to #140 in 2024 in Belgium.
Yes — 1 notable people named Sem are in our database, including Semmy Schilt (Actor).