boy's name
Shaun
SHAWN
- Origin Irish
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 1
- Letters 5
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 89,078
Northern Ireland
#326
2017 births
Shaun spells the Irish Seán phonetically for English readers, and it is the same name as John — the Irish took it from Norman French Jehan rather than directly from Latin, which is why it sounds nothing like John.
- Shaun is a name of Irish origin.
- Peaked in 1978, when 6,221 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 41,967 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1935.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Shaun over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1930s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1930s | 63 |
| 1940s | 255 |
| 1950s | 1,655 |
| 1960s | 6,505 |
| 1970s | 20,118 |
| 1980s | 24,941 |
| 1990s | 8,890 |
| 2000s | 7,147 |
| 2010s | 3,268 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 768 |
What Shaun means
Shaun means God is gracious, carried from Seán and so from John. The Hebrew states something about God rather than describing the child who bears it.
Where Shaun comes from
Shaun is an English phonetic spelling of the Irish Seán, which came into Irish from the Norman French Jehan rather than from the Latin Johannes — which is why Seán sounds so unlike John despite being the same name. Behind both is the Hebrew Yochanan, God is gracious. Shaun, Shawn and Sean divide the same sound between them, with Sean keeping the Irish spelling and the other two writing it as English readers would say it.
Shaun in use
Shaun peaked in the United States in 1978, when 6,221 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It now ranks 617th in Ireland on 5 births, 768th in Scotland on 4, 1370th in England and Wales on 20, 1943rd in the United States on 88 and 5514th in France, across 89,078 lifetime births in six of the seven markets we track.
How popular is Shaun?
In 2025, Shaun was given to 79 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Shaun is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Shaun
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Shaun also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Shaun over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Shaun in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Shaun
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Shaun — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Shaun
What does the name Shaun mean?
God is gracious, carried from Seán and so from John.
Why does Seán sound nothing like John?
Irish took it from the Norman French Jehan rather than from the Latin Johannes.
Is it Shaun, Shawn or Sean?
All three are the same name. Sean keeps the Irish spelling; the others write it phonetically.
How popular is Shaun?
617th in Ireland, its strongest market, and 1943rd in the United States.
Is Shaun a girl's or a boy's name?
Shaun is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Shaun?
Shaun has 1 syllable.
Is Shaun a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Shaun currently ranks #617 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.