Sebastian

Saint Sebastian, bound to a tree and pierced with arrows, became one of the most painted martyrs of the Renaissance — a name forever tangled up with Italian chapels and Caravaggio shadows. It comes from the Greek sebastos, venerable, by way of the ancient city of Sebaste. Bach wore it, Shakespeare used it in Twelfth Night for Viola's twin, and Disney gave it to a singing crab, which somehow did not diminish it. Sebastian has held a top-twenty American spot for years. Three sweeping syllables, each one a little more expansive than the last. Operatic without being overblown. A name that expects — and usually gets — a slightly dramatic child.