The first name Shane
A boy’s name from Irish meaning “god is gracious”.
Pronounced /ʃeɪn/ 1 syllable Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Irish origin
Shane means “god is gracious” in Irish.
Anglicized form of the Northern Irish pronunciation of Irish Seán, from Old French Jehan, from Latin Johannes, variant of Ioannes, from Koine Greek Ἰωάννης (Iōánnēs), from Hebrew יוֹחָנָן (Yōḥānān, literally “God is gracious”). Doublet of John, Jack, Johan, Johann, Johannes, Jean, Juan, João, Ian, Evan, Ivan, Sean, Shaun, and Giovanni as a male name. Doublet of Ivana, Jana, Jane, Janice, Janis, Jean, Jeanne, Jen, Joan, Joanna, Joanne, Johanna, Juana, Shavonne, Sian, Siobhan, Shaun, Shauna, and Sheena as a female name.
More names that mean grace.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 25 boys were named Shane, making it the 1,153rd most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 846 births (#74).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Shane with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Shane at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 439 boys born in the United States were named Shane, the 636th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1973, when 5,710 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Famous people named Shane
68 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Shane DawsonAmerican Internet personality (born 1988)
- Shane WarneAustralian cricketer (1969–2022)
- Shane WestAmerican actor, musician and songwriter, born 1978
- Shane BlackAmerican actor, screenwriter and film director, born 1961
- Shane McMahonAmerican businessman and professional wrestler, born 1970
- Shane MacGowanAnglo-Irish singer-songwriter (1957–2023)
- Shane KimbroughAmerican astronaut, born 1967
- Shane BattierAmerican basketball player (born 1978)
- Shane GouldAustralian swimmer, born 1956
- Shane HarperAmerican actor and singer, born 1993
- Shane MosleyAmerican boxer, born 1971
- Shane WatsonAustralian cricketer, born 1981
More Irish boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Shane mean?
- Shane means “god is gracious” in Irish.
- What is the origin of the name Shane?
- Anglicized form of the Northern Irish pronunciation of Irish Seán, from Old French Jehan, from Latin Johannes, variant of Ioannes, from Koine Greek Ἰωάννης (Iōánnēs), from Hebrew יוֹחָנָן (Yōḥānān, literally “God is gracious”). Doublet of John, Jack, Johan, Johann, Johannes, Jean, Juan, João, Ian,…
- How popular is the name Shane?
- In 2025, 25 boys born in England and Wales were named Shane, ranking 1,153rd. Its peak was 1996, with 846 births.
- Is Shane a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 98% of the 196,166 US babies named Shane since 1880 were boys.
- When was Shane most popular?
- 1973 in the United States, when 5,710 babies were named Shane, its highest rank at 54th.
- How do you pronounce Shane?
- Shane is /ʃeɪn/, one syllable.
- Is Shane also a surname?
- Yes. Shane is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.