Given name & surname · also Irish
Shawn
“God is gracious”
Shawn is a variant of Sean. In Irish use, Sean carries the interpretation “God is gracious.”
Original IrishSeán
Meaning & origin
What it means
Shawn is a variant of Sean. In Irish use, Sean carries the interpretation “God is gracious.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Shawn comes from Irish, and ultimately from Hebrew.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
How it developed
Shawn is used as a spelling variant of Sean.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1931. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Shawn through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 339,597
- 306,542 boys · 33,055 girls
- Most popular year
- 1971
- 14,688 babies
- 2025
- 412
- #682 for boys · #8,274 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −40%
- Cooling
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 98% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 399 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 682 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 39.9% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 12,825 in 1971. It also appeared in 13 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (40). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 279,685 as a first name in 2020; 972 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Shawn’s family of names
In English usage, Shawn shares an earlier linguistic root with John. In English usage, Shawn has a related form in Sean. In English usage, Shawn shares an earlier linguistic root with Juan.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Shawn has relatives in 6 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.
35 related names in 6 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 5
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 31
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Jackdoublet · English
- Johndoublet · English
- Iandoublet · English
- Giovannidoublet · English
- Evandoublet · English
- Juandoublet · English
- Ivandoublet · English
- Janedoublet · English
Show 23 moreShow fewer
- Joannadoublet · English
- Johandoublet · English
- Shanedoublet · English
- Joandoublet · English
- Johannadoublet · English
- Jeandoublet · French, English
- Ivanadoublet · English
- Juanadoublet · English
- Janadoublet · English
- Deshawnequivalent
- Siobhandoublet · English
- Johanndoublet · English
- Joannedoublet · English
- Janicedoublet · English
- Siandoublet · English
- Jeannedoublet · English
- Sheenadoublet · English
- Shaunadoublet · English
- Janisdoublet · English
- Jehanroot · Old French
- Shavonnedoublet · English
- Jendoublet · English
- ШонRussian
People named Shawn
- Jay-ZAmerican rapper, record producer, and entrepreneurborn 1969
- Shawn MendesCanadian singerborn 1998
- Shawn LevyCanadian fimmaker (born 1968)
- Shawn MarionAmerican basketball player (born 1978)
- Shawn AshmoreCanadian actorborn 1979
- Shawn WayansAmerican actor, DJ, producer, writer and comedianborn 1971
- Shawn Johnson EastAmerican artistic gymnast (born 1992)
- Shawn CrahanAmerican percussionistborn 1969
- Shawn BradleyAmerican basketball playerborn 1972
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Shawn, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Brian
“noble” · “of noble birth”
>99% boys
Troy
“son of a footsoldier”
99% boys · 1% girls
Tyrone
“from Owen's land”
>99% boys
Bryon
Bryon is a masculine given name from Irish.
>99% boys
Darren
“a great man” · “a gift from God”
>99% boys
Glenn
“from the valley between the hills” · “from the secluded narrow valley”
>99% boys
Jason
“I heal”
>99% boys
Kelvin
“a friend of ships; a man of the river”
>99% boys