Shawn

English

Etymology

A variant of Sean, from Irish Seán, from Old French Jehan, from Latin Johannes, variant of Ioannes, from Koine Greek Ἰωάννης (Iōánnēs), from Hebrew יוֹחָנָן‎ (Yōḥānān, literally “God is gracious”). Doublet of John, Jack, Johan, Johann, Johannes, Jean, Ian, Evan, Ivan, Sean, Shaun, Shane, and Giovanni as a male name. Doublet of Ivana, Jana, Jane, Janice, Janis, Jean, Jeanne, Jen, Joan, Joanna, Joanne, Johanna, Juana, Shavonne, Sian, Siobhan, Shane, Shaun, Shauna, and Sheena as a female name.

Pronunciation

Proper noun

Shawn

  1. (chiefly US) Alternative form of Shaun, a unisex given name.
    • 1984, Louise Erdrich, Love Medicine, Bantam Books, published 1987, →ISBN, page 169:
      Two weeks later Dot and her girl, who was finally named Shawn, like most girls born that year, came back to work at the scales.
    • 1996, Tobias Wolff, The Night in Question: Stories, Alfred A. Knopf, →ISBN, page 141:
      Or take Sean, S-E-A-N. Been spelled like that for about five hundred years. But not them, they've gotta spell it S-H-A-W-N. Like they have a right to that name in the first place.

Derived terms

Anagrams

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