Shaun is a boy name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Shaun means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Shaun across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Shaun has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Shaun is a boy name of Hebrew, via Irish origin meaning “God is gracious”. An anglicized spelling of the Irish Sean, a form of John.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 73,610 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 6,286 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 4,920 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 174 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 1,901 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 4,397 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 Shaun per year, United States (1935 to 2025). United States peaked in 1978 (6,221/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (773/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1991 (265/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1993 (76/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1997 (17/yr).
Shaun has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1978, when it ranked #90 nationally (given to 6,303 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1970s.
Shawn · Shane · Sheena · Shawna · Shanna · Shana · Shania · Shauna
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