Shaun
Shaun is an Irish variant spelling of Seán, which is the Irish form of John, meaning 'God is gracious.' This anglicized version emerged as a popular alternative to Sean, maintaining the authentic Irish pronunciation while adapting to English spelling conventions.
Current Popularity
#1956 for boys
in the United States (2025)
Popularity over time
Good to Know
- •Often confused with alternate spelling 'Shawn' but both are correct
- •Pronunciation is straightforward and rarely mispronounced
- •Maintains Irish heritage while being accessible in English-speaking countries
- •Popular in the 1970s-1990s, now considered a contemporary classic
- •Multiple spelling variations exist
Similar Names
Famous People
Shaun White
Olympic snowboarder and skateboarder
Shaun Cassidy
Actor and singer
Shaun of the Dead
Iconic film character
Shaun T
Fitness trainer and entrepreneur
Statistics
70,481
Total births since 1880
1978
Peak year
Discovery
Keep browsing
Rising now
Browse trending names
Names that climbed the most between 2020 and 2025.
Always popular
Explore timeless classics
Names that have sat in the top 50 for decades.
For this gender
See all-time favorites
The most common names since 1880, by total births.
Stories
Read famous-name profiles
How well-known people changed the names they carried.
Guides
Browse recent articles
Recent articles on naming trends.