Shea

Shea - A very unique male name

Shea appeared on the charts for the first time in 1968 on position #1046. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Shea and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Shea? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Shea. The baby boy name Shea was given to 69 baby boys in 2025, ranking #1502 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 21,250 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Shea peaked in popularity 42 years ago in 1984 on position 556.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Shea, 1-5?

Shea is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Shea is currently topping the baby name charts in New York at position #541 - and is the least popular in California at position #1,568.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Shea is where you live.

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Shea origin and meaning

Irish, from a surname

Uncertain — from the Irish surname Ó Séaghdha, whose root is argued between 'hawk-like' and 'fortunate'

Shea began as the Irish surname Ó Séaghdha, shortened in America to a unisex first name. The surname's root séaghdha is itself disputed, so no single meaning is attested. For boys it peaked in 1987; the name is now given more often to girls, and it is also the name of the African shea tree and its butter.

Origin uncertain

Shea is a 4 letter name with 1 syllables.

To see famous people named Shea, pop culture references for the name Shea and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Shea

We've found the following names that sound similar to Shea, sorted by popularity.

Sage / Shay / Sky / Shaya / Shia / Shai / Skye / Sasha / Sai / Sekou /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Shea

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Shea a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Shea?

1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

SHAY · /ʃeɪ/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Shay — Respelling.
• Shae — Respelling commoner for girls.

Famous bearers

• Shea Weber — Canadian NHL defenceman, longtime Nashville Predators captain (b. 1985) Contemporary

Style

SurnameInternational

Why parents choose it

Parents choose Shea for boys for a soft, Irish one-syllable name with a sporting edge.

Worth knowing

• Today it reads as more feminine in the US data, and the shea butter association comes up often.