The first name Shaun
A boy’s name from Irish meaning “god is gracious”.
Pronounced /ʃɔn/ 1 syllable Male
Meaning and origin
Irish origin
Shaun means “god is gracious” in Irish.
A variant of Sean, from 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, Ian, Evan, Ivan, Sean, Shawn, Shane, and Giovanni as a male name. Doublet of Ivana, Jana, Jane, Janice, Janis, Jean, Jeanne, Jen, Joan, Joanna, Joanne, Johanna, Juana, Shavonne, Sian, Siobhan, Shane, 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, 20 boys were named Shaun, making it the 1,359th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 773 births (#76).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Shaun with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Shaun at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 79 boys born in the United States were named Shaun, the 1,956th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1978, when 6,105 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.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Shaun
44 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Shaun Wright-PhillipsEnglish association football player (born 1981)
- Shaun MurphyEnglish snooker player (born 1982)
- Shaun WhiteAmerican snowboarder and skateboarder, born 1986
- Shaun TanAustralian illustrator, writer, and animated filmmaker (born 1974)
- Shaun LivingstonAmerican basketball player (born 1985)
- Shaun DonovanAmerican government official, born 1966
- Shaun EvansBritish actor, born 1980
- Shaun DerryEnglish footballer (born 1977)
- Shaun GoaterBermudian footballer (born 1970)
- Shaun SiposCanadian actor (born 1981)
- Shaun RossAlbinistic African-American male fashion model, born 1991
- Shaun MarshAustralian cricketer, born 1983
More Irish boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Shaun mean?
- Shaun means “god is gracious” in Irish.
- What is the origin of the name Shaun?
- A variant of Sean, from 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, Ian, Evan, Ivan, Sean, Shawn, Shane, and…
- How popular is the name Shaun?
- In 2025, 20 boys born in England and Wales were named Shaun, ranking 1,359th. Its peak was 1996, with 773 births.
- Is Shaun a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 96% of the 73,610 US babies named Shaun since 1880 were boys.
- When was Shaun most popular?
- 1978 in the United States, when 6,105 babies were named Shaun, its highest rank at 52nd.
- How do you pronounce Shaun?
- Shaun is /ʃɔn/, one syllable.
- What are other spellings of Shaun?
- Shawn and Shauna.