Declining since 1990, #12,008 for boys today.
Popularity of Shayn since 1969
Babies named Shayn per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1960s | 5 |
| 1970s | 54 |
| 1980s | 98 |
| 1990s | 170 |
| 2000s | 77 |
| 2010s | 50 |
| 2020s | 5 |
Meaning & origin
Shayn is a modern respelling of the classic Irish name Shane, sharing the meaning 'God is gracious.' First recorded in 1969, it saw its peak year of usage in 1989, but has since been on a declining trajectory since 1990. In 2025, it ranked 12,008, with roughly 1 in every 341,615 boys receiving the name, making it an uncommon choice. The name has no strong association with any particular U.S. state, reflecting its scattered use. As a variant spelling, it offers a distinctive twist on a traditional name.
Shayn is a modern variant of Shane, which itself is an anglicized form of the Irish name Seán (derived from the French Jean, ultimately from Latin Ioannes, from Greek Ioannes, from Hebrew Yohanan, meaning 'God is gracious'). Shayn emerged in the late 20th century as a respelling, likely influenced by similar-sounding names like Shayne or the phonetically straightforward spelling 'ayn' ending.
“Shayn” around the world
Where Shayn lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
5
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Shay
Sibling names for Shayn
Names that share Shayn's style, for a brother or sister.
