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

• IPA^(key): /ʃɔːn/
• (cot–caught merger) IPA^(key): /ʃɑn/

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

• Deshawn
• Shawna

Anagrams

• Hawns, hwans