The first name Shona
A girl’s name from Scottish Gaelic.
Pronounced /ˈʃəʊnə/ 2 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Scottish Gaelic origin
Scottish Anglicized form of Seonag ( =Joan) and an American variant of Shauna.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 3 girls were named Shona, making it the 5,927th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1997, with 200 births (#211).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Shona with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Shona at birth, 1880–2025
In 2024, 6 girls born in the United States were named Shona, the 15,024th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1970, when 160 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.
More Scottish Gaelic girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Shona mean?
- Scottish Anglicized form of Seonag ( =Joan) and an American variant of Shauna.
- What is the origin of the name Shona?
- Scottish Anglicized form of Seonag ( =Joan) and an American variant of Shauna.
- How popular is the name Shona?
- In 2025, 3 girls born in England and Wales were named Shona, ranking 5,927th. Its peak was 1997, with 200 births.
- Is Shona a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 2,414 US babies named Shona since 1880 were girls.
- When was Shona most popular?
- 1970 in the United States, when 160 babies were named Shona, its highest rank at 847th.
- How do you pronounce Shona?
- Shona is /ˈʃəʊnə/, 2 syllables.