In Persian usage, Baz can mean falcon, giving the name a sharp and noble image.
Baz lives a double life: in the English-speaking world it is primarily a nickname for Sebastian or, less commonly, Barry and Basil, while in Arabic and Persian traditions *bāz* (باز) is a fully independent word-name meaning falcon — a bird of prey associated with swiftness, precision, nobility, and the ancient practice of falconry that once defined aristocratic culture from Morocco to Mongolia. The two traditions share nothing etymologically but produce an identical sound, giving Baz an unusual cross-cultural resonance. Sebastian, Baz's most common parent name in the West, derives from the Greek *Sebastianos*, meaning "from Sebaste" — a city in Asia Minor whose name in turn meant "venerable" or "august."
Saint Sebastian, martyred under Diocletian and depicted bristling with arrows in Renaissance paintings, gave the name its early Christian foothold, and it flourished throughout Europe in various forms: Sebastián, Sébastien, Bastian, Basti, Seb. Baz emerged as a distinctly British and Australian vernacular contraction, associated with a certain cheerful irreverence. *, *Elvis*, *The Great Gatsby*) is its most prominent contemporary bearer, lending the nickname some cultural glamour.
As a standalone given name rather than a nickname, Baz has begun to gain traction — part of a broader trend toward short, punchy names that feel nickname-warm from birth. It occupies the same register as Jax, Kit, or Rex: informal but not frivolous, with enough edge to age well. For families with Middle Eastern heritage, the falcon meaning adds a layer of gravitas that makes Baz feel not diminutive at all.