Sheena
GirlScottish, Irish· “Gaelic form of Jane, "God is gracious"”
- Meaning
- Gaelic form of Jane, "God is gracious"
- Origin
- Scottish, Irish
- Pronunciation
- SHEE-nuh
- Syllables
- 2
- US rank 2025
- #8,277
- US babies 2025
- 13
- Best rank
- #80 (1984)
- Peak year
- 1984
Meaning and origin of Sheena
Sheena is a Scottish and Irish name that means “Gaelic form of Jane, "God is gracious"”.
Sheena is an anglicized spelling of Sìne, the Scottish Gaelic form of Jane, which comes from the Hebrew Yochanan, "God is gracious." The spelling shows English readers how the Gaelic is said. The name became known outside Scotland in the twentieth century, helped by the comic-book heroine Sheena, Queen of the Jungle, and later by the Scottish singer Sheena Easton. It is said SHEE-nuh. Shena and Sheenagh are related spellings. The Irish Sinéad, which came into Irish from the French Jeannette, belongs to the same family.
Other spellings with the same sound: Shena.
Popularity over time
Sheena first appears in US Social Security records in 1943. It has ranked in the top 1,000 in 23 different years, starting in 1956. Its best national rank was #80 in 1984, the same year it reached its highest count of 3,597 babies. In 2025, 13 babies were named Sheena, and it ranked #8,277 nationally. That is 57% fewer than ten years earlier, so it is becoming less common.
Its national rank moved from #1,621 in 1950, #1,014 in 1980, #2,369 in 2000, #5,222 in 2010, and #8,277 in 2025. Of the 22,380 US girls named Sheena since records began, 73% were born in the 1980s, its biggest decade. Since 2010, 319 more have been named Sheena.
Other girls' names that peaked around the same time include Joanna, Nichole, Desiree, Stefanie, and Krystle.
Gender, sound and spelling
In the US it is used almost only for girls.
Sheena is usually pronounced SHEE-nuh, with two syllables. It has six letters, starts with S and ends in “-na”. Names that sound the same but are spelled differently include Shena.
Middle names for Sheena
A few middle names that flow with Sheena: each avoids a matching first letter, a rhyme and a vowel clash where the names meet.
Sibling names for Sheena
Similar names
Lists that include Sheena
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Sheena mean?
Sheena is a Scottish and Irish name that means “Gaelic form of Jane, "God is gracious"”.
What is the origin of the name Sheena?
Sheena has Scottish, Irish, and Hebrew roots. Sheena is an anglicized spelling of Sìne, the Scottish Gaelic form of Jane, which comes from the Hebrew Yochanan, "God is gracious." The spelling shows English readers how the Gaelic is said.
Is Sheena a popular name?
Not especially. Sheena ranked #8,277 in the US in 2025, which puts it outside the top 1,000.
Is Sheena a boy or girl name?
Sheena is mainly a girl's name. In the US it is used almost only for girls.
How do you pronounce Sheena?
Sheena is usually pronounced SHEE-nuh. Stressed syllables are in capital letters.
Popularity figures come from US Social Security card applications (names given to at least five babies in a year, 1880 to 2025). How we source names and meanings