Shae is a unisex name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Shae means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Shae across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Shae has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Shae is a unisex name of Irish (Gaelic) origin meaning “admirable or hawk-like”. A variant of Shay or Shea.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 7,694 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 1,363 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 136 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 11 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 14 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Shae per year, United States (1951 to 2025). United States peaked in 1998 (277/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2012 (78/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2014 (10/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2020 (5/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2010 (5/yr).
Shae is an uncommon baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1998, when it ranked #1,400 nationally (given to 340 babies that year).
Shea · Shay · Shai · Che · Shia · Shaye · Shaya · Chau
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