Shane

maleHebrew, via Irish Seán

An Anglicized form of Seán, ultimately from Hebrew elements meaning 'Yahweh' and 'gracious' — the same root tradition as John. Popularised in America by the 1953 western film Shane.

Origin: Hebrew, via Irish Seán

Official popularity data is available for 6 regions, from 1954 to 2025. Highest recorded position: #3 in Republic of Ireland in 1996. See regions.

Shane: Recorded every year since 1954, it reached #3 in 1996, and it stood at #152 in 2025.

6registrars recorded it
211times a registrar ranked it
72years from first to last
#3highest recorded position
45groupings it qualifies for
43names it appears alongside

What stands out in Shane's record

Ranked every year since 1954, without a single year missing. Names by continuity of record
Held a top-100 place for 65 years running. Names by top-100 run
Held at least one birth in every 2,000 for 28 years. Names by sustained share
Appears alongside 43 other names across 9 kinds of recorded relationship. All recorded relationships

SHAYN/ˈʃeɪn/

Compare Shane Run Name Checker on Shane

Data Confidence

Evidence: HighCompleteness: CompleteEditorial review: 2026-07-21

Confidence in the evidencebehind this name's data — never a rating of the name itself, and never affected by how well it matches your preferences. How this is assessed

Because: backed by officially or academically authoritative sources, recently verified, popularity data covers multiple regions.

Source authority

Averaged from the real per-claim source-authority assessments already computed for this name's meaning/origin/pronunciation/popularity evidence.

Independent corroboration

Averaged from the real per-claim supporting-source counts already computed for this name's evidence.

See full evidence assessment (8 dimensions, 1 not yet tracked)

Source agreement

No recorded source disagreement for this name's meanings or origins.

Recency

Calculated from how long ago this record was last verified (2026-07-21), against a 270-day staleness threshold.

Geographic relevance

Calculated from the number of geographies with official popularity data (6) — broader official coverage means the evidence base is relevant to more of where the name is actually used.

Completeness

Calculated from how many of the expected data sections (variants, similar names, popularity, notable usage, IPA pronunciation) are actually populated for this name.

Direct observation vs. inference

Averaged from the real per-claim direct-observation-vs-inference ratios already computed for this name's evidence.

Identity & variant resolution quality

Cross-source identity and variant resolution requires HEKNO Knowledge, which isn't connected yet.

Name Characteristics

How these are calculated

Descriptive attributes of the name itself — not a confidence measurement, and not an overall quality score. Namewise doesn't approve or disapprove of names.

Pronunciation clarity

Editorial judgement of how consistently this name is pronounced correctly on first read, mapped from an easy/moderate/variable rating to a number. Describes the name — not a measure of evidence confidence.

Spelling simplicity

Calculated directly from the name's spelling: shorter names with fewer irregular letter clusters score higher. A disclosed formula, not an editorial opinion — and not a confidence measurement.

Recorded regional spread

Derived from how many geographies' official statistics record this name. It measures where the name is registered, not how well-known it feels to people living there.

International spread

Derived from the same official statistical coverage, scaled to reflect how widely the name crosses national datasets. Not a measure of how easily it is understood in another language.

Trend stability

Derived from the name's traditional/modern classification and its current popularity trend direction.

Overview

Origin: Hebrew, via Irish Seán
Meaning: An Anglicized form of Seán, ultimately from Hebrew elements meaning 'Yahweh' and 'gracious' — the same root tradition as John. Popularised in America by the 1953 western film Shane.
Pronunciation: SHAYN
Syllables: 2
Common nicknames: None recorded
Classification: Traditional & modern
Gender usage: male
Language family: Hebrew, via Irish Seán

Popularity

Region

Falling

among girls in England and Wales · 1996–2011

View as table

England and Wales · Girls rank by year
Year	Rank
1996	#3795
1997	#3824
1998	#3142
2011	#5785

VerifiedSource: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales.Confidence: high.

See all England and Wales names · Source: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales

What the data shows

FallingEngland and Wales · Girls

Recorded in official data among boys in Republic of Ireland in every year from 1964 to 2025.

In 2025: #152 among boys in Republic of Ireland, #1153 among boys in England and Wales.

Official data from 6 national registrars across 6 regions, 1954–2025 · Office for National Statistics. Data sources

Popularity journey

First recorded1954
First recorded at #72 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1153 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys

Shane appears in 6 of the published lists Namewise holds. The longest record is Republic of Ireland · Boys, with 62 ranked years and 22,075 births registered; the earliest is New South Wales, Australia · Boys, from 1954.

Shane across 6 official records

Each registrar publishes its own list, so these figures are read down a row, never across one. A position in one country is not comparable with a position in another, and Namewise never combines them into a single ranking. The birth counts do not compare across rows either, for a different reason: England and Wales registers roughly thirty times as many births a year as Northern Ireland, so a larger total says which registrar recorded it as much as how widely the name was given.

Shane's first, highest and most recent recorded position in each official list, with the number of births each registrar registered with the name and its largest single year
Published list	First recorded	Highest	Most recent	Years recorded	Births registered	Most in one year
Republic of Ireland · Boys	#75 (1964)	#3 (1996)	#152 (2025)	62 of 62	22,075 (1964–2025)	830 (1988)
New Zealand · Boys	#98 (1955)	#12 (1968)	#90 (1998)	43 of 44	10,213 (1955–1998)	580 (1968)
New South Wales, Australia · Boys	#72 (1954)	#15 (1971)	#83 (1996)	43 of 43	14,217 (1954–1996)	818 (1971)
England and Wales · Boys	#74 (1996)	#74 (1996)	#1153 (2025)	30 of 30	6,761 (1996–2025)	846 (1996)
Northern Ireland · Boys	#45 (1997)	#41 (2002)	#216 (2024)	28 of 28	1,066 (1997–2024)	77 (1997)
England and Wales · Girls	#3795 (1996)	#3142 (1998)	#5785 (2011)	4 of 16	13 (1996–2011)	4 (1998)

Shane by decade in Republic of Ireland · Boys

Births registered with the name in each decade of this one list, with the number of years the list covers in that decade. Bars are scaled on births a year, which is the figure that compares between decades — a decade the list only partly covers has a smaller total without being a quieter decade. Figures belong to this registrar alone and do not carry to another.

Births registered with Shane in Republic of Ireland · Boys, by decade, with years covered and the average per year
Decade	Births registered	Years covered	A year
1960s	511	6 of 10	85
1970s	3,585	10 of 10	359
1980sbusiest	6,507	10 of 10	651
1990s	6,299	10 of 10	630
2000s	3,460	10 of 10	346
2010s	1,401	10 of 10	140
2020s	312	6 of 10	52

Across Republic of Ireland · Boys, the 1980s were its busiest decade, averaging 651 births a year.

Its sharpest single-year move came between 1997 and 1998, when recorded births fell by 218, from 633 to 415.

See the names Republic of Irelandhas recorded the most births with →

Shane appears in

Groupings this name qualifies for under their own stated rules, from the same official statistics shown above.

What the record shows

Recorded by 6 registrars between 1954 and 2025, ranked in 72 years of that period.

Its highest recorded position is #3, first reached in 1996.

It held a top-100 place in 67 years, 65 of them consecutive.

Its largest count from any one registrar is 846 births, registered in England and Wales in 1996.

1 registrar ranked it inside their own top 10.

A second registrar first ranked it in 1955, and 70 years separate the first registrar to record it from the last.

Every figure here is counted from the seven official registrars Namewise holds. A position is only ever a place within the list that published it, and a record that thins or stops is a fact about what registrars printed — never about how many children received the name.

Shane was ranked #3 in Republic of Ireland · Boys in 1996. These are the names immediately either side of it on that published list — a fact about the registrar's own output, not a similarity judgement.

Where to go next

Records with a comparable body of evidence, so the catalogue can be read outward from this one. Each group states the rule it was selected by.

Next in the catalogue

The records either side of this one alphabetically.

Shana · #377, 30y
Shanaya · #448, 29y
Shani · #615, 30y
Shania · #16, 31y

A comparable record

Records held by the same 6 registrars, over a similar number of ranked years, whose highest position is closest to this one. A similar body of evidence — never a claim that the names themselves are alike.

Angela · #3, 74y
Caroline · #3, 69y
Megan · #3, 68y
Sandra · #3, 77y

Also first recorded in the 1950s

Records whose earliest ranking in Namewise's registrar data also falls between 1950 and 1959.

Adam · #3, 73y
Adrian · #3, 73y
Benjamin · #3, 65y
Caroline · #3, 69y

Comparisons involving Shane

Existing comparison pages where Shane and another name were ranked in the same published list, in the same years, on the same scale. Each has its own evidence; none of them says the names are alike.

Longest shared records

Names ranked alongside Shane in the same published list across at least 25 years.

Patrick vs Shane
In 1996 they stood at #66 and #74 in England and Wales · Boys, 8 places apart; by 2025 they were #134 and #1153.
Patrick · Shane · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2025 England and Wales ranking
Shane vs Anthony
In 1996 they stood at #74 and #65 in England and Wales · Boys, 9 places apart; by 2025 they were #1153 and #239.
Shane · Anthony · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2025 England and Wales ranking
Shane vs Tyler
In 1996 they stood at #74 and #67 in England and Wales · Boys, 7 places apart; by 2025 they were #1153 and #265.
Shane · Tyler · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2025 England and Wales ranking

Closest long-running positions

Names that stayed close to Shane within one registrar's list over many years. A gap measured inside that list, never across registrars.

Shane vs Brett
Across 38 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Shane and Brett averaged 11.3 places apart, ending at #64 and #90.
Shane · Brett · 38 shared years, 1955–1992 · Closest over the longest run
See the 1992 New South Wales, Australia ranking
Shane vs Simon
Across 42 shared years in New Zealand · Boys, Shane and Simon averaged 11.4 places apart, ending at #89 and #73.
Shane · Simon · 42 shared years, 1955–1996 · Closest over the longest run
See the 1996 New Zealand ranking
Shane vs Bradley
Across 41 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Shane and Bradley averaged 12.6 places apart, ending at #83 and #29.
Shane · Bradley · 41 shared years, 1956–1996 · Closest over the longest run
See the 1996 New South Wales, Australia ranking

Order changes

Pairs where Shane and another name exchanged position in a published list, taken as the final meaningful change.

Jack vs Shane
In 1998, Jack moved ahead of Shane in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #10 and #6 the year before became #3 and #11.
Jack · Shane · 53 shared years, 1970–2025 · One moved ahead of the other
See the 1998 Republic of Ireland ranking
Adam vs Shane
In 1998, Adam moved ahead of Shane in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #12 and #6 the year before became #5 and #11.
Adam · Shane · 61 shared years, 1965–2025 · One moved ahead of the other
See the 1998 Republic of Ireland ranking
Paul vs Shane
In 1988, Shane moved ahead of Paul in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #7 and #8 the year before became #9 and #5.
Paul · Shane · 62 shared years, 1964–2025 · One moved ahead of the other
See the 1988 Republic of Ireland ranking

Compared inside Republic of Ireland lists

Pairs involving Shane measured in Republic of Ireland's own published lists — the registrar that recorded Shane at its highest position.

Shane vs Gregory
In 1964 they stood at #75 and #78 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 3 places apart; by 2025 they were #152 and #829.
Shane · Gregory · 60 shared years, 1964–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2025 Republic of Ireland ranking
Shane vs Gary
In 1964 they stood at #75 and #84 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 9 places apart; by 2024 they were #150 and #785.
Shane · Gary · 60 shared years, 1964–2024 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2024 Republic of Ireland ranking
Leo vs Shane
Over 62 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Leo rose about as far as Shane fell — from #101 and #75 in 1964 to #10 and #152 in 2025.
Leo · Shane · 62 shared years, 1964–2025 · Mirrored each other
See the 2025 Republic of Ireland ranking

Republic of Ireland overview→

Shane and the names beside it

Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale, in the same year, by the same registrar — so these are positions that genuinely passed each other, not a similarity judgement. Drawn from the 2,577 names with a recorded popularity standing (common, familiar, uncommon), so a name outside that set could have passed Shane without appearing here.

Shane moved ahead of

Ciaran
In 2017 they stood at #84 and #78 in Republic of Ireland · Boys; by 2018 that had become #92 and #520.
Jonathan
In 2019 they stood at #185 and #153 in Northern Ireland · Boys; by 2020 that had become #180 and #231.
Jordan
In 2019 they stood at #185 and #178 in Northern Ireland · Boys; by 2020 that had become #180 and #231.
Jason Compare
In 2018 they stood at #135 and #135 in Northern Ireland · Boys; by 2019 that had become #185 and #209.

Moved ahead of Shane

Bruce
In 2024 they stood at #857 and #898 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2025 that had become #1153 and #856.
Kristian
In 2024 they stood at #857 and #1000 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2025 that had become #1153 and #856.
Theodor
In 2019 they stood at #642 and #663 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2020 that had become #921 and #627.
Cooper
In 2011 they stood at #279 and #284 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2012 that had become #363 and #211.

Moved the opposite way to Shane

Alexander
Between 1964 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Shane went from #75 to #152 while Alexander went from #116 to #55.
Conor Compare
Between 1964 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Shane went from #75 to #152 while Conor went from #56 to #16.
Leon
Between 1968 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Shane went from #53 to #152 while Leon went from #207 to #73.
Evan
Between 1969 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Shane went from #55 to #152 while Evan went from #291 to #80.

Moved the same way as Shane

Alfred
Between 1964 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Shane went from #75 to #152 and Alfred from #134 to #286.
Denis
Between 1964 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Shane went from #75 to #152 and Denis from #21 to #232.
Frank
Between 1964 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Shane went from #75 to #152 and Frank from #164 to #286.
George
Between 1964 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Shane went from #75 to #152 and George from #52 to #112.

Meaning & Origin

An Anglicized form of Seán, ultimately from Hebrew elements meaning 'Yahweh' and 'gracious' — the same root tradition as John. Popularised in America by the 1953 western film Shane.

VerifiedSource: Behind the Name.Confidence: medium.

Hebrew, via Irish Seán

VerifiedSource: Behind the Name.Confidence: medium.

Other names with a researched meaning and origin →

Where Shane is officially recorded

6 official registrars have recorded Shane, between 1954 and 2025. Each registrar publishes for its own population on its own methodology, so the positions below are each one country's own ranking and are not comparable with one another.

Registrar	Recorded	Years	Its own highest position
New South Wales, Australia	1954–1996	43	#15 in 1971
New Zealand	1955–1998	43	#12 in 1968
Republic of Ireland	1964–2025	62	#3 in 1996
England and Wales	1996–2025	30	#74 in 1996
Northern Ireland	1997–2024	28	#41 in 2002
Scotland	2024	1	#478 in 2024

Its high point came 56 years earlier in New Zealand (1968) than in Scotland (2024).

Variants

Seán · spelling
Sean · spelling
Shaun · spelling
Shawn · spelling

Similar Names

No similar names recorded yet for this name.

Similarity is a demonstration score — see methodology.

Spelling

Spelling simplicity

Calculated directly from the name's spelling — see Name Characteristics above.

Common alternate spellings: Seán, Sean, Shaun, Shawn.

Pronunciation

SHAYN/ˈʃeɪn/

Syllables: 2
Ease: easy

VerifiedSource: Behind the Name.Confidence: medium.

Where Shane Is Recorded

National statistical agencies have recorded Shane in these places. This shows where the name is used — not where it comes from, and not that it carries particular cultural significance there.

New South Wales, AustraliaEngland and WalesNorthern IrelandScotlandRepublic of IrelandNew Zealand

Notable Usage

No safely-sourced notable usage recorded for this name yet.

Sibling & Surname Compatibility

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Shane

Shane at a glance

What stands out in Shane's record

Overview

Popularity

What the data shows

Popularity journey

Shane across 6 official records

Shane by decade in Republic of Ireland · Boys

Shane appears in

What the record shows

Names published alongside Shane

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1950s

Comparisons involving Shane

Longest shared records

Closest long-running positions

Order changes

Compared inside Republic of Ireland lists

Shane and the names beside it

Shane moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Shane

Moved the opposite way to Shane

Moved the same way as Shane

Meaning & Origin

Where Shane is officially recorded

Variants

Similar Names

Spelling

Pronunciation

Where Shane Is Recorded

Notable Usage

Sibling & Surname Compatibility

Shane at a glance

What stands out in Shane's record

Shane across 6 official records

Shane by decade in Republic of Ireland · Boys

Shane appears in

What the record shows

Names published alongside Shane

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1950s

Comparisons involving Shane

Longest shared records

Closest long-running positions

Order changes

Compared inside Republic of Ireland lists

Shane and the names beside it

Shane moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Shane

Moved the opposite way to Shane

Moved the same way as Shane