Shona
Shona was the #718 girls' name in Ireland in 2025 (4 babies), and #5,927 in England & Wales.
Shona as a girl’s name
- US
- England & Wales
- Scotland
- Northern Ireland
- Ireland
- Canada
Show the numbers
| Year | US | England & Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland | Ireland | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | #5,927 (3) | #780 (3) | — | #718 (4) | — |
| 2024 | #13,477 (6) | #4,193 (5) | — | — | #556 (6) | — |
| 2023 | — | #4,710 (4) | — | — | #625 (5) | — |
| 2022 | — | — | — | — | #458 (8) | — |
| 2021 | #15,251 (5) | — | — | — | #586 (6) | — |
| 2020 | — | #3,447 (6) | — | — | #700 (4) | — |
| 2019 | — | #3,151 (7) | — | #424 (3) | #621 (5) | — |
| 2018 | — | #3,518 (6) | — | #434 (3) | #436 (9) | — |
| 2017 | — | #2,925 (8) | — | #355 (4) | #430 (9) | — |
| 2016 | #16,215 (5) | #2,367 (11) | — | — | #359 (12) | — |
| 2015 | #13,006 (7) | #2,496 (10) | — | — | #345 (14) | — |
| 2014 | #13,069 (7) | #1,702 (17) | — | — | #321 (15) | — |
| 2013 | — | #1,707 (17) | — | — | #315 (15) | — |
| 2012 | #9,711 (11) | #1,893 (15) | #665 (4) | #297 (6) | #317 (16) | #2,921 (6) |
| 2011 | #13,347 (7) | #1,067 (32) | #810 (3) | — | #299 (17) | — |
The tide so far
- Peaked in Ireland in 1991 at #112.
- Holding steady over the last five years.
- First recorded in Ireland in 1969.
How common is it?
about 1 in 5,300 baby girls in the published Ireland list for 2025.
In a group of 1,000 children born that year, you would expect to meet fewer than 1. How we work this out.
How common, country by country
| Where | Sex | Latest year | Share | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| England & Wales | Girls | 2025 | about 1 in 83,000 | rare |
| Scotland | Girls | 2025 | about 1 in 6,000 | uncommon |
| Ireland | Girls | 2025 | about 1 in 5,300 | uncommon |
Next year
On its recent trend, Shona is likely to keep rising in Ireland in 2026: about 1 in 5,000 baby girls. Likely range 1 in 3,300 to 1 in 7,500.
Estimate, not an official figure. How we estimate.
Spellings
Official statistics count each spelling separately, so we show them side by side rather than adding them up.
| Spelling | Where | Sex | Latest rank | Babies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shona | Canada | Girls | — | too few |
| Shona | England & Wales | Girls | #5,927 | 3 |
| Shona | Ireland | Girls | #718 | 4 |
| Shóna | Ireland | Girls | — | too few |
| Shona | Northern Ireland | Girls | — | too few |
| Shona | Scotland | Girls | #780 | 3 |
| Shona | US | Girls | — | too few |