Shawn
Boy name · Celtic · Hebrew · Irish
MeaningGod is gracious · English form of John
- US rank
- #681
- Syllables
- 1
- Peak
- #27 in 1973
399 babies were named Shawn in the US in 2025. It has dropped 230 places in five years.
Found on lists
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million girls, 1932–2025
US births per million boys, 1931–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Shawn you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Shawn
Shawn Mendes
Canadian singer
Choose Shawn and your child shares a first name with Shawn Mendes, a Canadian singer. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Shawn, like who?” Shawn Mendes's Wikipedia article is available in 72 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Shawn Mendes on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Cosmopolitan UK, CC BY 3.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 4,281 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Shawn, 399 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Shawn would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryShawn first shows up in US birth records in 1931, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 94 years since.
- Best yearIt was far more popular in 1973, when it ranked #27. Today it's #681, so it could be due a comeback.
- Then vs nowShawn was 6.3× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 679 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 4,281.
- TrendShawn has slipped 230 places over the last five years and now sits at #681. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- Where it's lovedShawn is most popular in Delaware, where it ranks #168, followed by Maryland (#407) and Pennsylvania (#415). It's in the top 1,000 in 24 states.
- MeaningShawn is an English form of John, which means “God is gracious”. Our records link it to Celtic, Hebrew and Irish roots.
About the name Shawn
Shawn is a boy name of Celtic, Hebrew and Irish origin meaning “God is gracious”. It has 5 letters and 1 syllable, starting with S and ending in “-awn”. US birth records list Shawn for boys from 1931 to 2025, in 91 of those 95 years. Its best year was 1973, when it ranked #27 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #681, with 399 babies.
Origin:Celtic namesHebrew namesIrish names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 2.8 | 358,744 girls |
| 1940s | 16 | 61,013 girls |
| 1950s | 202 | 4,954 girls |
| 1960s | 736 | 1,358 girls |
| 1970s | 729 | 1,372 girls |
| 1980s | 159 | 6,303 girls |
| 1990s | 59 | 17,091 girls |
| 2000s | 19 | 53,333 girls |
| 2010s | 8.3 | 120,048 girls |
| 2020s | 6.9 | 144,928 girls |
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 4.1 | 243,243 boys |
| 1940s | 28 | 35,765 boys |
| 1950s | 309 | 3,234 boys |
| 1960s | 2,573 | 389 boys |
| 1970s | 6,426 | 156 boys |
| 1980s | 3,566 | 280 boys |
| 1990s | 2,170 | 461 boys |
| 2000s | 1,214 | 824 boys |
| 2010s | 566 | 1,767 boys |
| 2020s | 294 | 3,405 boys |
Other spellings of Shawn
More Celtic boy names
- Unisex name: Owen · well-born
- Unisex name: Logan · little hollow
- Unisex name: Rowan · little red-haired one
- Unisex name: Nolan · descendant of Nuallán
- Unisex name: Cameron · crooked nose
- Boy name: Ian · God is gracious
- Unisex name: Gael · a Gael
- Boy name: Arthur · possibly bear
Questions about the name Shawn
What does the name Shawn mean?
Shawn means “God is gracious” in English, as a form of John.
What is the origin of the name Shawn?
Shawn has Celtic, Hebrew, Irish roots in our records. Other Celtic names include Owen, Logan, Rowan.
Is Shawn a boy or girl name?
Shawn is a boy name, though a few girls get it too.
How popular is the name Shawn?
Shawn ranked #681 for US boys in 2025, given to 399 babies. Its best year was 1973 (#27).