Shawn is a name of Irish origin, derived from the Irish surname Ó Seaghdha. The surname itself comes from the Irish word "seachd" which means "peaceful". Therefore, Shawn means "peaceful" or "happy".
The name Shawn has been popular in English-speaking countries for several decades now. It was particularly common in the 1970s and 1980s, reaching its peak popularity in the United States during those years.
Historically, Shawn has been used as both a given name and a surname. As a given name, it is typically associated with males. Some notable individuals named Shawn include Canadian singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes, American actor Shawn Ashmore, and American basketball player Shawn Marion.
Despite its Irish origins, the name Shawn has gained popularity worldwide, transcending cultural boundaries. It is often used as a unisex name in some countries, although it remains more commonly associated with males. Overall, Shawn is a strong and distinctive name that carries a positive connotation due to its meaning of "peaceful" or "happy".
The name Shawn has seen a significant rise and fall in popularity over the past century in the United States. In the early years, from 1931 to 1937, there were fewer than 20 births each year with this name, reaching as low as just six births in 1931.
However, starting in the late 1940s and continuing into the 1950s, the popularity of Shawn began to grow significantly. In 1947, there were 57 births, and by 1953, that number had jumped to 343. This trend continued throughout the decade, with a peak of 10,948 births in 1970.
Despite this remarkable growth, Shawn's popularity began to decline once again in the late 1970s and early 1980s. By 1982, there were only 6,845 births with this name, a significant drop from its peak just a decade earlier.
This downward trend continued throughout the remainder of the century, reaching as low as 436 births in 2023. Despite this decrease in popularity, Shawn remains a relatively common name, having been given to over 305,000 babies in total since records began being kept.
In recent years, there has been some renewed interest in the name Shawn. While it is no longer one of the most popular names for newborns, it continues to be chosen by parents for their children, suggesting that its timeless appeal endures despite fluctuations in popularity.