Shane
Say it: SHAYN/ʃeɪn/
BoyIrishMeans god is gracious5 letters1 syllable
#152
in Ireland (2025)
#147 with spellings combined
34
babies in 2025
#3
best rank (1996)
22,075
babies since 1964
Down 76
10-year rank change
Shane through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (boys) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 34 | #147 |
| 2024 | 34 | #149 |
| 2023 | 54 | #110 |
| 2022 | 46 | #130 |
| 2021 | 72 | #90 |
| 2020 | 72 | #87 |
| 2019 | 62 | #111 |
| 2018 | 71 | #93 |
| 2017 | 86 | #84 |
| 2016 | 119 | #64 |
| 2015 | 109 | #71 |
| 2014 | 141 | #58 |
| 2013 | 151 | #55 |
| 2012 | 176 | #47 |
| 2011 | 209 | #43 |
| 2010 | 277 | #33 |
| 2009 | 260 | #30 |
| 2008 | 294 | #28 |
| 2007 | 343 | #25 |
| 2006 | 366 | #24 |
| 2005 | 355 | #23 |
| 2004 | 379 | #19 |
| 2003 | 335 | #21 |
| 2002 | 343 | #21 |
| 2001 | 385 | #13 |
| 2000 | 400 | #13 |
| 1999 | 444 | #11 |
| 1998 | 415 | #11 |
| 1997 | 633 | #6 |
| 1996 | 696 | #3 |
| 1995 | 628 | #6 |
| 1994 | 657 | #6 |
| 1993 | 687 | #5 |
| 1992 | 703 | #7 |
| 1991 | 682 | #6 |
| 1990 | 754 | #6 |
| 1989 | 693 | #7 |
| 1988 | 830 | #5 |
| 1987 | 779 | #8 |
| 1986 | 685 | #9 |
| 1985 | 610 | #11 |
| 1984 | 612 | #13 |
| 1983 | 662 | #12 |
| 1982 | 558 | #14 |
| 1981 | 538 | #14 |
| 1980 | 540 | #15 |
| 1979 | 438 | #18 |
| 1978 | 413 | #18 |
| 1977 | 468 | #17 |
| 1976 | 478 | #15 |
| 1975 | 401 | #22 |
| 1974 | 369 | #23 |
| 1973 | 351 | #25 |
| 1972 | 277 | #31 |
| 1971 | 200 | #48 |
| 1970 | 190 | #42 |
| 1969 | 123 | #55 |
| 1968 | 115 | #53 |
| 1967 | 76 | #71 |
| 1966 | 73 | #71 |
| 1965 | 75 | #65 |
| 1964 | 49 | #75 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Shane mean?
God is gracious
Irish, an English spelling of Seán as said in Ulster, ultimately a form of John.
Say it right
SHAYN
The story of Shane
Shane is an English spelling of the Irish Seán, written the way the name sounds in Ulster Irish. Seán came into Irish from the Old French Jehan, which goes back through Latin to the Hebrew Yōḥānān, “God is gracious”. So Shane is one of the many forms of John, alongside Seán, Shaun and Ian. The surname McShane comes from the same root.
In Irish history the best-known bearer is Shane O’Neill, the 16th-century Ulster chieftain. Abroad, many people know the name from Shane, the classic Hollywood western starring Alan Ladd.
Shane was one of the biggest boys’ names in Ireland in the 1980s and 1990s. The most babies came in 1988, with 830 boys, and it reached number 3 in 1996. It was never as popular in Northern Ireland, where its best place was number 41 in 2002. It is much quieter now, with 34 boys in 2025.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Shane (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Shane (name)
- CSO VSA50, Boys Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, Baby Names in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Shane | 34 | 22,075 |
In Northern Ireland
#212 in 2025 with 9 babies. Best rank #41 (2002); 1,075 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.