Shane in Irish: Sean
The Irish form of Shane is Sean, a boy's name meaning “God's gracious gift.” Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated September 2026
- Irish form
- Sean
- Meaning
- God's gracious gift
- Gender
- Boy
- Popularity in Ireland
- No. 152 for boys (2025)
How do you say Shane in Irish?
Shane in Irish is Sean, pronounced SHAWN. It has one syllable.
What does Sean mean?
Sean means “God's gracious gift.” Shane is one of the English forms of the name.
Read more about Sean: its meaning, origin and stories
How popular is Shane in Ireland?
In 2025, 34 baby boys in Ireland were named Shane, which made it No. 152 that year. That's down from No. 71 ten years earlier. It was most popular in 1996, when 696 baby boys were named Shane, No. 3 that year. The most babies got the name in 1988: 830. The records go back to 1964, when 49 baby boys were given the name.
See the numbers by year
| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 34 | No. 152 |
| 2024 | 34 | No. 150 |
| 2023 | 54 | No. 107 |
| 2022 | 46 | No. 130 |
| 2021 | 72 | No. 88 |
| 2020 | 72 | No. 87 |
| 2019 | 62 | No. 111 |
| 2018 | 71 | No. 92 |
| 2017 | 86 | No. 84 |
| 2016 | 119 | No. 64 |
| 2015 | 109 | No. 71 |
| 2014 | 141 | No. 58 |
| 2013 | 151 | No. 55 |
| 2012 | 176 | No. 47 |
| 2011 | 209 | No. 43 |
| 2010 | 277 | No. 33 |
| 2009 | 260 | No. 30 |
| 2008 | 294 | No. 28 |
| 2007 | 343 | No. 25 |
| 2006 | 366 | No. 24 |
| 2005 | 355 | No. 23 |
| 2004 | 379 | No. 19 |
| 2003 | 335 | No. 21 |
| 2002 | 343 | No. 21 |
| 2001 | 385 | No. 13 |
| 2000 | 400 | No. 13 |
| 1999 | 444 | No. 11 |
| 1998 | 415 | No. 11 |
| 1997 | 633 | No. 6 |
| 1996 | 696 | No. 3 |
| 1995 | 628 | No. 6 |
| 1994 | 657 | No. 6 |
| 1993 | 687 | No. 5 |
| 1992 | 703 | No. 7 |
| 1991 | 682 | No. 6 |
| 1990 | 754 | No. 6 |
| 1989 | 693 | No. 7 |
| 1988 | 830 | No. 5 |
| 1987 | 779 | No. 8 |
| 1986 | 685 | No. 9 |
| 1985 | 610 | No. 11 |
| 1984 | 612 | No. 13 |
| 1983 | 662 | No. 12 |
| 1982 | 558 | No. 14 |
| 1981 | 538 | No. 14 |
| 1980 | 540 | No. 15 |
| 1979 | 438 | No. 18 |
| 1978 | 413 | No. 18 |
| 1977 | 468 | No. 17 |
| 1976 | 478 | No. 15 |
| 1975 | 401 | No. 22 |
| 1974 | 369 | No. 23 |
| 1973 | 351 | No. 25 |
| 1972 | 277 | No. 31 |
| 1971 | 200 | No. 48 |
| 1970 | 190 | No. 42 |
| 1969 | 123 | No. 55 |
| 1968 | 115 | No. 53 |
| 1967 | 76 | No. 71 |
| 1966 | 73 | No. 71 |
| 1965 | 75 | No. 65 |
| 1964 | 49 | No. 75 |
Sean in Ogham
Ogham is the oldest way of writing Irish. It was carved along the edges of standing stones, mostly between the 4th and 6th centuries, and read from the bottom up. In later tradition each letter was named after a tree or plant. Here’s Sean, letter by letter.
- SSail, willow
- EEadhadh, aspen
- AAilm, pine
- NNion, ash
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with Shane
Questions about Shane
- What is Shane in Irish?
- The Irish form of Shane is Sean, pronounced SHAWN. Sean means “God's gracious gift.”
- How do you pronounce Sean?
- Sean is pronounced SHAWN. One syllable.
- Is Shane a girl's name or a boy's name?
- Shane is a boy's name.
- How popular is Shane in Ireland?
- In 2025, Shane was No. 152 for boys in Ireland, with 34 babies, according to the Central Statistics Office. It was most popular in 1996, at No. 3.