Shane
Shane was the 636th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 439 babies. Its best year was 1973, when it ranked 54th with 5,710 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 341 places. More babies were named Shane in the 1970s than in any other decade.
Meaning God is gracious (Irish form of John) · Irish, Hebrew
Say it SHAYN /ʃeɪn/
- Rank in 2025
- #636 boys, down 129 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 439boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19735,710 babies
- Total since 1880
- 196,166babies recorded
What does the name Shane mean?
Shane is an anglicized spelling of Irish Seán, written as it sounds in northern Irish pronunciation. Seán was borrowed from Old French Jehan, which comes through Latin Iohannes and Greek Iōannēs from Hebrew Yochanan, "God is gracious"; DMNES glosses it "graced by God." So Shane is a form of John, like Sean, Shawn, Ian and Evan. Wiktionary records Shane as a boys' name, a girls' name and an Irish surname.
Seán (Irish, “John”)יוֹחָנָן (Biblical Hebrew, “God is gracious”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Sean, Shaun, Shawn, John, Eoin, Shayne.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean God, names that mean grace.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Shane' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Seán' (Irish section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'John', DMNES (Durham University)
Shane popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 3,583 since 1941.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #636 | 439 |
| 2020 | #507 | 569 |
| 2010 | #198 | 1,876 |
| 2000 | #116 | 3,275 |
| 1990 | #73 | 5,274 |
| 1980 | #69 | 4,365 |
| 1970 | #64 | 4,451 |
| 1960 | #337 | 532 |
| 1950 | #1,388 | 28 |
| 1940 | #2,832 | 8 |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Shane, counting every spelling?
Shane is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #551 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #636 for Shane on its own. Together these spellings went to 541 boys in 2025.
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Shane?
439 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Shane (0.12 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Shane born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 19 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Shane.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Shane?
About 179,600 people born in the US named Shane are alive today, with a median age of 38; half are between 28 and 50. That makes Shane mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Shane by state
How common Shane was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Delaware (4.3×), New Jersey (2.8×), Connecticut (2.5×), Pennsylvania (2.2×), New York (1.8×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Kentucky, Idaho, West Virginia.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Shane: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Shane, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Shane · Sibling names for Shane
Questions about the name Shane
What does Shane mean?
Shane means “God is gracious (Irish form of John)” (Irish, Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Shane?
Shane was the 636th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 439 babies. Its best year was 1973, when it ranked 54th with 5,710 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 341 places. More babies were named Shane in the 1970s than in any other decade.
Is Shane a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Shane in the US.
Where is Shane most popular?
In 2021–2025, Shane was most common in Delaware (1.32 per 1,000 boys), followed by New Jersey and Connecticut.