Shevawn
Anglicized form of Siobhán, an Irish feminine name meaning "God's gracious gift".
Name Census estimates that about 102 living Americans carry the first name Shevawn. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shevawn today is around 59 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shevawn births was 1955 (36 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shevawn. 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
102
~ 1 in 3,360,337 Americans
Peak year
1955
36 babies that year
Average age
59
years old
1989 SSA rank
#10,674
Tracked since 1955
Census
Shevawn in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 161 people with the first name Shevawn, which placed it at #43,643 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#43,643
National first-name rank
People counted
161
161 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
62.1% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shevawn
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Shevawn is White at 62.1%. The next largest groups are Black (28.0%) and Hispanic (5.0%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Shevawn described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Shevawn at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White62.1% · 100
- Black or African American28.0% · 45
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 8
- Two or more races3.7% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 2
Popularity
Shevawn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shevawn from the 1950s through to the 1980s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 77 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1950s peak, Shevawn remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shevawn 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 Shevawn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Shevawns live
Origin
Meaning and history of Shevawn
The name Shevawn is a relatively uncommon given name with roots that can be traced back to the Gaelic and Irish languages. It is believed to be a variant spelling of the name Siobhan, which itself is an anglicized form of the ancient Irish name Siobhan.
The name Siobhan is derived from the Old Irish word "siubhan," which means "God is gracious" or "God's gift." This name has been in use in Ireland for centuries and has been carried on through various spellings and variations, including Shevawn.
While the name Shevawn is not as widely documented as its more common counterparts, it has been used throughout history, albeit in a limited capacity. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the 16th century, when a woman named Shevawn O'Malley was mentioned in historical records from County Mayo, Ireland.
As for notable individuals bearing the name Shevawn, there are a few who have made their mark throughout the ages. In the 17th century, Shevawn MacCarthy was a prominent Irish noblewoman and landowner from County Cork. She played a significant role in the Irish Confederate Wars of the 1640s.
Moving forward, in the 19th century, Shevawn O'Donnell was a renowned Irish poet and storyteller who helped preserve and promote the rich cultural traditions of her homeland. Her works were widely celebrated and served as an important link to Ireland's literary heritage.
In more recent times, Shevawn Lockhart (1922-2009) was a pioneering American educator and civil rights activist who fought tirelessly for equal opportunities in education. She was a prominent figure in the desegregation of schools in the United States and was recognized for her contributions to advancing social justice.
Another notable figure was Shevawn Michaels (1935-2018), a Canadian artist and sculptor whose works were widely exhibited and celebrated for their unique blend of traditional and contemporary styles. Her sculptures can be found in various public spaces and galleries across North America.
While the name Shevawn may not be as widely known as some other Irish names, it carries a rich history and cultural significance rooted in the ancient traditions of the Emerald Isle. Its unique spelling and connection to the meaning of "God's gift" have made it a cherished choice for those seeking a name that honors their Irish heritage.
People
Shevawn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shevawn 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
Shevawn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shevawn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 102 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shevawn 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 3,360,337 US residents.
Is Shevawn a common name?
We classify Shevawn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 64.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 128 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shevawn most popular?
The single biggest year for Shevawn was 1955, when 36 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shevawn is about 59 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Shevawn in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 161 people with the name Shevawn, or 0.05 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #43,643 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Shevawn in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Shevawn?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Shevawn appears almost entirely female. Of the 155 people counted with this name, 99.4% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Shevawn?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Shevawn is White at 62.1%. The next largest groups are Black (28.0%) and Hispanic (5.0%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Shevawn most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Shevawn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.1% (100 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Shevawn in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Shevawn a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shevawn 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.
Is Shevawn still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Shevawn in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Shevawn can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
How many Americans are named Shevawn?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.