Meaning & origin
A reliable meaning for Shun isn’t established in our sources yet. Rather than guess, we show what is recorded: how the name is used, how often, and the names it’s connected to.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1925. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Shun through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 939
- 909 boys · 30 girls
- Most popular year
- 1980
- 41 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −62%
- Cooling
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 5 in 2023. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for boys was 41 in 1980. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,991 as a first name in 2020; 261 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.
Shun’s family of names
In Japanese usage, Shun is a Roman-alphabet rendering of 俊. In Japanese usage, Shun is a Roman-alphabet rendering of 峻. In Japanese usage, Shun is a Roman-alphabet rendering of 駿.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 7
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Shun
- Wang ShunChinese swimmerborn 1994
- Shun MorishitaJapanese association football playerborn 1986
- Shun NagasawaJapanese association football playerborn 1988
- Shun OguriJapanese actor, voice actor, and film directorborn 1982
- Shun ObuJapanese association football playerborn 1992
- Shun ItoJapanese association football playerborn 1987
- Shun NogaitoJapanese association football playerborn 1986
- Shun TanakaJapanese association football playerborn 1988
- Shun SatoJapanese association football player (1997-)
Characters named Shun: Andromeda Shun (from Saint Seiya).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Shun, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Shaun
“God is gracious”
98% boys · 2% girls
Zebulun
“one who has been exalted”
>99% boys
Vinh
“from the bay”
>99% boys
Minh
“a clever man”
92% boys · 8% girls
Chauncey
“an office holder; keeper of records” · “having good fortune”
>99% boys
Jamin
“the right hand of favor”
>99% boys
Rustin
“from the red-haired man's estate”
>99% boys
Antwan
“a flourishing man; from an ancient Roman family”
>99% boys