Declining since 1985, #1,942 for boys today.
Popularity of Shaun since 1935
Babies named Shaun per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1930s | 63 |
| 1940s | 230 |
| 1950s | 1,239 |
| 1960s | 5,559 |
| 1970s | 19,317 |
| 1980s | 24,470 |
| 1990s | 8,621 |
| 2000s | 7,010 |
| 2010s | 3,219 |
| 2020s | 753 |
Meaning & origin
Shaun is an Anglicized variant of the Irish Seán, which itself traces back through French Jean to the Hebrew Yohanan, meaning "God is gracious." The spelling Shaun first appeared in U.S. records in 1935 and peaked in popularity in 1978, when it ranked among the top 200 names for boys. Since 1985, its use has steadily declined; in the most recent year (2025), it had a 1-in-21,621 rate of occurrence, placing it far outside the top 1,000. The name was most common in Missouri, Virginia, and Washington during its peak decades. While Shaun remains a recognizable choice, its trajectory reflects a broader shift away from once-popular phonetic adaptations of classic names.
Shaun is an Anglicized spelling of the Irish name Seán, itself derived from the French Jean and ultimately from the Hebrew Yohanan, meaning "God is gracious." The spelling Shaun became popular in the mid-20th century, particularly in the United States, as a phonetic variant of the traditional Irish form.
Where Shaun is most popular
Births per 100,000 boys by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Shaun” around the world
Where Shaun lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
10
babies in 2024
Ireland
5
babies in 2025
Sources: INSEE (France) · CSO Ireland (Ireland).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Shaunie
Sibling names for Shaun
Names that share Shaun's style, for a brother or sister.
Names like Shaun
Names whose popularity has moved with Shaun's over the last 50 years.
