Shiann
Of unknown origin, potentially a variant spelling of Shian or Shiane.
Name Census estimates that about 1,962 living Americans carry the first name Shiann. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shiann today is around 25 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shiann births was 1998 (135 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shiann. 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
2.0K
~ 1 in 174,696 Americans
Peak year
1998
135 babies that year
Average age
25
years old
2022 SSA rank
#17,396
Tracked since 1975
Popularity
Shiann: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shiann from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 851 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shiann 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 Shiann during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Shianns live
The SSA's state-level files cover 18 states and territories. Ohio, New York, California recorded the most babies named Shiann, while South Carolina, Missouri, Arizona recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 40 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Shiann
The name Shiann is a modern spelling variation of the Gaelic name Sìne, which is the Irish and Scottish form of the name Jane. Sìne is derived from the Hebrew name Johanna, meaning "God is gracious." The name Johanna is a feminine form of the Hebrew name Yohanan, which is the origin of the English name John.
The name Sìne has been in use in Ireland and Scotland since at least the Middle Ages. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name was Sìne Nic an Toisich, a 14th-century Scottish noblewoman who was the wife of Kenneth Sutherland, the 5th Earl of Sutherland.
In the 16th century, the name Sìne was also used by Sìne Nic Ghille Andrais, a Scottish poet and member of the famous Beaton family of physicians and scholars. Her poetry, written in Scottish Gaelic, is considered an important part of the literary tradition of the Scottish Highlands.
Another notable bearer of the name was Sìne Bhàn MacIntyre, a 17th-century Scottish Gaelic poet from the Isle of Mull. Her work, which included songs and laments, was widely known and appreciated in her time.
In the 19th century, the name was borne by Sìne Nic an Ràidh, a Scottish Gaelic poet and songwriter from the Isle of Skye. Her compositions, which often focused on themes of love and nature, were popular in the Scottish Highlands and Islands.
The modern spelling variation Shiann emerged in the 20th century, likely as a result of the anglicization of Gaelic names. One of the earliest known bearers of this spelling was Shiann Mackenzie, a Scottish artist and sculptor born in 1930.
While the name Shiann is not as common as its traditional forms like Jane or Jean, it has been used by several notable individuals throughout history, showcasing the enduring popularity of this name derived from the Hebrew Yohanan.
People
Shiann + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shiann 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
Shiann: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shiann?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,962 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shiann 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 174,696 US residents.
Is Shiann a common name?
We classify Shiann as "Rare". It ranks above 93.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,008 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shiann most popular?
The single biggest year for Shiann was 1998, when 135 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shiann is about 25 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Shiann a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shiann 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.