Shane
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- SHAYN
- Origin
- Hebrew
- UK rank, 2025
- #986 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #635 for boys
- Style
- Big in Northern Ireland
Shane is a boys' name of Hebrew origin, meaning “God is gracious”. In 2025 it ranked 986th for boys in the UK (34 babies) and 635th for boys in the US (439 babies).
What does Shane mean?
Hebrew: anglicised form of Irish Seán, John
“God is gracious”
An anglicised form of Seán, borne by Shane O'Neill, a 16th-century Ulster chieftain; the 1953 western Shane spread it widely.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Shane a girl's or a boy's name?
Shane is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 34 boys in the UK and 439 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Shane in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- 986th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 34 about 1 in 8,800 boys
- Five-year trend
- Falling down 25% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 34 boys in the UK were named Shane, making it the 986th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 760th. Its busiest year was 1996, with 886 boys.
2025 had the fewest boys named Shane since the records began in 1996.
Half of all the boys named Shane in the UK since 1996 were born between 1998 and 2008. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 1,153rd in England and Wales and 212th in Northern Ireland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1974 (#65), 1984 (#70) and 1994 (#69).
Shane in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 34 | #986 |
| 2024 | 52 | #738 |
| 2023 | 64 | #628 |
| 2022 | 49 | #752 |
| 2021 | 69 | #608 |
| 2020 | 47 | #760 |
| 2019 | 74 | #568 |
| 2018 | 79 | #548 |
| 2017 | 72 | #586 |
| 2016 | 118 | #413 |
| 2015 | 113 | #419 |
| 2014 | 133 | #364 |
| 2013 | 145 | #332 |
| 2012 | 159 | #323 |
| 2011 | 207 | #256 |
| 2010 | 220 | #247 |
| 2009 | 252 | #212 |
| 2008 | 310 | #185 |
| 2007 | 323 | #180 |
| 2006 | 309 | #177 |
| 2005 | 352 | #153 |
| 2004 | 404 | #141 |
| 2003 | 412 | #136 |
| 2002 | 407 | #132 |
| 2001 | 445 | #118 |
| 2000 | 510 | #113 |
| 1999 | 495 | #117 |
| 1998 | 675 | #93 |
| 1997 | 882 | #81 |
| 1996 | 886 | #78 |
How popular is Shane in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- 635th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 439 about 1 in 3,900 boys
- Five-year trend
- Falling down 34% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 439 boys in the US were named Shane, making it the 635th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 507th. Its busiest year was 1973, with 5,710 boys. It first appears in the records in 1933.
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 4 years. 2025 had fewer boys named Shane than any year since 1958.
Half of all the boys named Shane in the US since 1880 were born between 1976 and 1998, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 450 boys in the US were given Shane or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #595, up from #635 for this spelling alone.
Girls were 37% of the babies named Shane in the US in 1948, and 1% in 2024.
Shane in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 439 | #635 |
| 2024 | 475 | #600 |
| 2023 | 528 | #555 |
| 2022 | 582 | #511 |
| 2021 | 598 | #493 |
| 2020 | 569 | #507 |
| 2019 | 739 | #422 |
| 2018 | 875 | #372 |
| 2017 | 916 | #359 |
| 2016 | 1,068 | #325 |
| 2015 | 1,217 | #295 |
| 2014 | 1,298 | #277 |
| 2013 | 1,398 | #257 |
| 2012 | 1,480 | #244 |
| 2011 | 1,643 | #213 |
| 2010 | 1,876 | #197 |
| 2009 | 2,132 | #178 |
| 2008 | 2,307 | #174 |
| 2007 | 2,241 | #184 |
| 2006 | 2,277 | #179 |
| 2005 | 2,459 | #166 |
| 2004 | 2,476 | #165 |
| 2003 | 2,816 | #144 |
| 2002 | 3,030 | #130 |
| 2001 | 3,116 | #128 |
| 2000 | 3,275 | #116 |
| 1999 | 3,247 | #110 |
| 1998 | 3,166 | #118 |
| 1997 | 3,317 | #114 |
| 1996 | 3,488 | #112 |
| 1995 | 3,630 | #103 |
| 1994 | 4,085 | #92 |
| 1993 | 4,438 | #84 |
| 1992 | 4,847 | #77 |
| 1991 | 5,106 | #75 |
| 1990 | 5,274 | #73 |
| 1989 | 4,860 | #71 |
| 1988 | 5,173 | #67 |
| 1987 | 5,305 | #65 |
| 1986 | 4,929 | #67 |
| 1985 | 4,549 | #68 |
| 1984 | 3,335 | #85 |
| 1983 | 3,404 | #83 |
| 1982 | 3,539 | #84 |
| 1981 | 3,710 | #81 |
| 1980 | 4,365 | #69 |
| 1979 | 4,482 | #67 |
| 1978 | 4,480 | #65 |
| 1977 | 4,868 | #61 |
| 1976 | 5,095 | #57 |
| 1975 | 5,209 | #57 |
| 1974 | 5,655 | #56 |
| 1973 | 5,710 | #54 |
| 1972 | 5,236 | #55 |
| 1971 | 5,093 | #60 |
| 1970 | 4,451 | #64 |
| 1969 | 3,531 | #87 |
| 1968 | 2,513 | #120 |
| 1967 | 1,967 | #145 |
| 1966 | 1,315 | #186 |
| 1965 | 1,025 | #228 |
| 1964 | 903 | #256 |
| 1963 | 851 | #263 |
| 1962 | 704 | #289 |
| 1961 | 582 | #325 |
| 1960 | 532 | #337 |
| 1959 | 496 | #350 |
| 1958 | 411 | #386 |
| 1957 | 390 | #386 |
| 1956 | 346 | #407 |
| 1955 | 305 | #418 |
| 1954 | 354 | #376 |
| 1953 | 184 | #518 |
| 1952 | 37 | #1,212 |
| 1951 | 38 | #1,170 |
| 1950 | 28 | #1,363 |
| 1949 | 27 | #1,408 |
| 1948 | 22 | #1,558 |
| 1947 | 20 | #1,695 |
| 1946 | 13 | #2,029 |
| 1945 | 9 | #2,392 |
| 1944 | 16 | #1,737 |
| 1943 | 16 | #1,832 |
| 1942 | 11 | #2,267 |
| 1941 | 17 | #1,685 |
| 1940 | 8 | #2,671 |
| 1939 | 5 | #3,479 |
| 1938 | 0 | – |
| 1937 | 8 | #2,680 |
| 1936 | 0 | – |
| 1935 | 8 | #2,719 |
| 1934 | 9 | #2,563 |
| 1933 | 6 | #3,267 |
Names like Shane
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Sean, Luke, Jamie, Ryan, Adam, Jake, Matthew, Nathan, Daniel, Aaron, Michael, Kyle
Other spellings of Shane
Names related to Shane
Shayan, Shaun, Shaan, Shawn, Shahan, Shayne, San, Sohan, Shannon, Shine, Shyne
More Hebrew names
Noah, Isabella, Elijah, James, Jack, Mia, Ava, Jude, Ezra, Benjamin, Isaac, Jacob, Ethan, Samuel, Elias, Mateo
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Shane: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/shane, updated 20 October 2026.