Shona is a girl name with a rare feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Shona means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Shona across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Shona has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Shona is a girl name of Hebrew origin meaning “God is gracious”. A Scottish feminine form of John, related to Sine.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 2,414 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 1,529 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 2,443 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 132 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 1,075 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 1,210 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 Shona per year, England & Wales (1996 to 2025). England & Wales peaked in 1997 (200/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1975 (167/yr) · United States peaked in 1970 (160/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1991 (53/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1997 (12/yr).
Shona is an uncommon baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1970, when it ranked #1,471 nationally (given to 168 babies that year).
Shane · Sheena · Shawna · Shanna · Shana · Shania · Shauna · Shaina
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