Boy's name
Seán
“SHAWN”
IPA: /ʃɑːn̪ˠ/
the Irish form of John, via Norman-French Jehan
Why it is said that way
The s before an e is sh, and the fada makes the a long: SHAWN. It is the same name as John.
- s before e or i → sh
- á é í ó ú (the fada) → a long vowel — and never optional
The story behind the name
Ireland's commonest man's name for centuries, and proof of how thoroughly the Normans were absorbed: their Jehan became Seán, then produced Shane in Ulster and Shaun and Shawn wherever the Irish went. Seán Lemass and Seán O'Casey between them span the state's politics and its theatre.
Surnames built on this name
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