Boy's name

Séadna

“SHAY-na”

an ancient name; Woulfe gives no meaning

Sidney

Source: Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames (1923) ↗

The story behind the name

Woulfe records four saints of the name. He puts the English Sidney in brackets, his sign that it is a substitute rather than a translation.

Quick answers

How do you pronounce Séadna?

Séadna is pronounced “SHAY-na”. Irish has three main dialect groups (Ulster, Connacht and Munster) and many names are said differently in each. The respellings here give the pronunciation most commonly heard in Irish English; where a well-known variant exists, both are shown.

What does the name Séadna mean?

Séadna means an ancient name; Woulfe gives no meaning.

Is Séadna a boy's or a girl's name?

Séadna is traditionally a boy's name in Ireland.

How else is Séadna spelled?

Other spellings and equivalents include Sidney. Irish names were written down by English-speaking clerks for centuries, which is why so many spellings survive for one name.

Related names

Seán Séamus Séafra Seanán Séarlas

Meanings follow Ó Corráin & Maguire's Irish Names and Woulfe; pronunciations give the commonest Irish-English form. Know this name better — a dialect pronunciation, a family tradition? Tell us. · All Irish names A–Z