Find out how popular the first name Shayne has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Shayne by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Shayne is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 79% of people named Shayne being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 36 male babies and 13 female babies born with the name Shayne.

The history of the first name Shayne

The name Shayne has its origins in the Irish language, derived from the Gaelic word "Seán," which is the Irish version of the name John. The name Shayne is believed to have emerged as a variant spelling during the 16th or 17th century when many Irish names were anglicized by English settlers and scribes.

Seán is a traditional Irish name with roots dating back to ancient Celtic times. It is derived from the Hebrew name "Yohanan," meaning "Yahweh is gracious." The name gained popularity in Ireland after it was introduced by early Christian missionaries, and it became a common name among the Irish people.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shayne can be found in the 17th century Irish annals, where it appears as a surname. In the late 16th century, a man named Shane O'Neill, also known as the Great Shane, was an influential Irish chieftain and the leader of the O'Neill dynasty in Ulster.

Among the notable historical figures who bore the name Shayne, we can mention Shane Leslie (1885-1971), an Irish writer, politician, and diplomat who served as a member of the Irish Free State Senate. Another prominent figure was Shane MacGowan (born 1957), the Irish-British singer-songwriter and lead singer of the Celtic punk band The Pogues.

In the realm of literature, the name Shayne appears in the works of Irish playwright and novelist Samuel Beckett (1906-1989), who featured a character named Shayne in his novel "Watt." Additionally, Shayne was the first name of the protagonist in the popular detective novel series by Brett Halliday, featuring the character Michael Shayne, a fictional private investigator.

Other notable individuals with the first name Shayne include Shayne Ward (born 1984), an English pop singer and actor who won the second series of the British talent show "The X Factor" in 2005, and Shayne Gostisbehere (born 1993), an American professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Arizona Coyotes in the National Hockey League.

While the name Shayne has its roots in Irish culture, it has gained popularity worldwide and has been adopted by various cultures and ethnicities, making it a diverse and multicultural name with a rich historical background.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Shayne was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Shayne, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!