Sheanna
Of uncertain origin, possibly derived from Siân, a Welsh diminutive of Jane.
Name Census estimates that about 189 living Americans carry the first name Sheanna. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Sheanna today is around 36 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sheanna births was 1984 (20 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sheanna. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
189
~ 1 in 1,813,515 Americans
Peak year
1984
20 babies that year
Average age
36
years old
2003 SSA rank
#17,983
Tracked since 1980
Popularity
Sheanna: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sheanna from the 1980s through to the 2000s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 92 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sheanna by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Sheanna during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Sheanna
The name Sheanna is a feminine given name of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic name Siobhán, which means "God is gracious" or "God's gift." The name is believed to have been in use since the Middle Ages, with roots tracing back to the 12th century.
The earliest recorded use of the name Sheanna can be found in medieval Irish manuscripts, where it was spelled as Siobhán or Siobhán. This spelling was later anglicized to Sheanna, making it more accessible to non-Irish speakers. The name gained popularity in Ireland during the 16th and 17th centuries, particularly among Catholic families.
One of the earliest known historical figures with the name Sheanna was Sheanna O'Brien, an Irish noblewoman who lived in the 15th century. She was known for her involvement in local politics and her patronage of the arts and literature.
Another notable figure was Sheanna Ní Bhriain, a 16th-century Irish poet and bard from County Clare. Her works, which were written in the Irish language, have been preserved and studied by scholars for their cultural and literary significance.
In the 17th century, Sheanna Ní Mhurchadha was a renowned Irish harpist and composer who performed for the noble families of Ireland. Her compositions, which blended traditional Irish melodies with contemporary influences, were widely celebrated during her lifetime.
During the 19th century, Sheanna Ní Dhonnchadha was an Irish language scholar and educator who played a pivotal role in preserving and promoting the Irish language and culture. She authored several books and worked tirelessly to establish Irish language schools in her native County Cork.
In more recent times, Sheanna Gillen (1926-2022) was an Irish actress and singer who gained recognition for her roles in various stage productions and television shows. She was also an accomplished traditional Irish singer and helped popularize Irish folk music both in Ireland and abroad.
While the name Sheanna has its origins in Irish culture, it has since been adopted and used in various parts of the world, particularly in English-speaking countries with strong Irish diaspora communities.
People
Sheanna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sheanna as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Sheanna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sheanna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 189 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sheanna going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,813,515 US residents.
Is Sheanna a common name?
We classify Sheanna as "Very Rare". It ranks above 73.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 198 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sheanna most popular?
The single biggest year for Sheanna was 1984, when 20 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sheanna is about 36 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Sheanna a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sheanna in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.