| Pronunciation | /ʃeɪn/ (shayn) |
|---|---|
| Gender | Unisex |
| Origin | |
| Meaning | 'graced by God' |
| Region of origin | Ireland |
| Other names | |
| Related names | O'Shane, O'Shea, Séamus, Seán or Sean, Shaine, Shauna, Shawna, Shay, Shayna, Shayne, Shania |
Shane is mainly a masculine given name. It is an anglicized version of the Irish name Séaghan/Séan, which itself is cognate to the name John.[1] Shane comes from the way the name Seán is pronounced in the Ulster dialect of the Irish language, as opposed to Shaun or Shawn.
Shane is sometimes used as a feminine given name, from the Yiddish name Shayna, meaning "beautiful".
Shane is also a popular surname with the prefix "Mac", "Mc", or "O'", to form anglicized Irish surname patronyms.[2] The surname was first recorded in Petty's census of Ireland (1659), which lists a Dermot McShane (i.e., Son of Shane).[3]
Variant forms include O'Shane, O'Shea, Séamus, Seán or Sean, Shaine, Shauna, Shawna, Shay, Shayna, and Shayne.
The name Shane was popularized by Jack Schaefer's novel Shane (1949) and its eponymous 1953 movie adaptation, directed by George Stevens from a screenplay by A.B. Guthrie Jr.