Shawn
Shawn is a unisex given name, an anglicized spelling of the Irish name Seán. Alternate spellings include Shawne, Shaun, Shon and Sean.
Meaning & Origin of Shawn
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Shawn is a unisex given name, an anglicized spelling of the Irish name Seán. Alternate spellings include Shawne, Shaun, Shon and Sean.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Shawn
As a girl name
Shawn first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1932, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1970, when 1,971 Shawns were born — ranking #168 that year. As of 2026, Shawn ranks #7,577 for girls with 14 births, gradually rising (+10%). In total, more than 33K Shawns have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1930s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Shawn first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1931, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1971, when 12,825 Shawns were born — ranking #28 that year. As of 2026, Shawn ranks #724 for boys with 371 births, falling sharply (-40%). In total, more than 307K Shawns have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1930s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Shawn
Phonetically similar names — useful when Shawn is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Shawn
What does the name Shawn mean?
How popular is Shawn in 2026?
When was Shawn most popular?
In which U.S. states is Shawn most popular?
Is Shawn a unisex name?
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About the name Shawn
Shawn is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1931 and has accumulated 307K births in the dataset. Shawn's peak popularity came in 1971 when it ranked #27. Use the chart and map above to compare Shawn's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1971 →
- Names of the 1970s →
- Names starting with "S" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.