Shea is a unisex name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Shea means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Shea across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Shea has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Shea is a unisex name of Irish (Gaelic) origin meaning “stately, admirable”. An anglicized form of the Irish surname O Seaghdha.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 21,102 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 1,545 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 143 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 1,996 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 600 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 Shea per year, United States (1950 to 2025). United States peaked in 2005 (531/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2004 (110/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2005 (95/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2025 (43/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2007 (10/yr).
Shea is an uncommon baby name in the United States. It was most common in 2005, when it ranked #1,009 nationally (given to 742 babies that year).
Shay · Shae · Shai · Che · Shia · Shaya · Sha · Shoua
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