The first name Sinead
A girl’s name from Irish meaning “god is gracious”.
Pronounced /ʃɪˈneɪd/ 3 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Irish origin
Sinead means “god is gracious” in Irish.
Anglicization of Irish Sinéad, from Old Northern French Jeanette, from Middle French Jehanne + -ette, from Medieval Latin Johanna, variant of Latin Ioanna under influence from Latin Iōhannēs, from Koine Greek Ἰωάννα (Iōánna), from Hebrew יוֹחָנָה (Yôḥānāh, literally “God is gracious”), the feminized form of יְהוֹחָנָן (Yəhōḥānān) which produced John and its many doublets. Doublet of Janet, Jeanette, Jeannette, Juanita, and Shanae.
More names that mean grace.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 7 girls were named Sinead, making it the 3,333rd most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2003, with 312 births (#154).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Sinead with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Sinead at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 11 girls born in the United States were named Sinead, the 9,378th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1990, 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.
Nicknames and spellings
Other spellings and forms
- Shinead
- Sinéad
Famous people named Sinead
4 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Sinead KeenanActress from Dublin, Ireland, born 1977
- Sinead MatthewsBritish actress, born 1980
- Sinéad HarnettEnglish singer and songwriter, born 1989
- Sinead DiverAustralian long-distance runner, born 1977
More Irish girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Sinead mean?
- Sinead means “god is gracious” in Irish.
- What is the origin of the name Sinead?
- Anglicization of Irish Sinéad, from Old Northern French Jeanette, from Middle French Jehanne + -ette, from Medieval Latin Johanna, variant of Latin Ioanna under influence from Latin Iōhannēs, from Koine Greek Ἰωάννα (Iōánna), from Hebrew יוֹחָנָה (Yôḥānāh, literally “God is gracious”), the…
- How popular is the name Sinead?
- In 2025, 7 girls born in England and Wales were named Sinead, ranking 3,333rd. Its peak was 2003, with 312 births.
- Is Sinead a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 1,340 US babies named Sinead since 1880 were girls.
- When was Sinead most popular?
- 1990 in the United States, when 160 babies were named Sinead, its highest rank at 1,099th.
- How do you pronounce Sinead?
- Sinead is /ʃɪˈneɪd/, 3 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Sinead?
- Shinead and Sinéad.