Shayne first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Shayne has been for the last 50 years (from 1975 to 2024) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Shayne

An English unisex name derived from Old English meaning "bright" or "brilliant".

Popularity of Shayne by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Shayne is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 80% of people named Shayne being male.

For the most recent data in 2024, there were 27 male babies and 15 female babies born with the name Shayne.

YearMale CountFemale Count
20242715
20233613
20222915
20213610
20203426
20194728
20186219
20175035
20168035
20158940
20147748
20138046
201210438
201111244
201014073
200911486
200815287
200717248
200616668
200517858
200418047
200318856
200219261
200120853
200023933
199921632
199823364
199725261
199629461
199526657
199432669
199329284
199234056
199135145
199039947
198925436
198828225
198723328
198619728
198515737
198411329
198311030
198213134
198112331
198015139
197914528
197817727
197718337
197617446
197518345

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.

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