Emma Girl
EH-muh
“whole, universal” · Germanic
#3
Sinead
GirlIrish, Hebrew· “God is gracious”
- Meaning
- God is gracious
- Origin
- Irish, Hebrew
- Pronunciation
- shih-NAYD
- Syllables
- 3
- US rank 2025
- #9,378
- US babies 2025
- 11
- Best rank
- #1,099 (1990)
- Peak year
- 1990
Meaning and origin of Sinead
Sinead is an Irish and Hebrew name that means “God is gracious”.
Sinéad is the Irish form of Jane or Janet, coming from the French Jeannette, a diminutive of Jeanne. It goes back to the Hebrew Yochanan, God is gracious. Sinéad has been used in Ireland for centuries and became especially popular in the twentieth century. It is said shih-NAYD, because the Irish letter s before e sounds like sh. The spelling often surprises English readers, who may try sin-EED. The singer Sinéad O'Connor and the actress Sinéad Cusack made it widely known.
Popularity over time
Sinead first appears in US Social Security records in 1975. It has never ranked in the national top 1,000, which keeps it genuinely uncommon. Its best national rank was #1,099 in 1990, the same year it reached its highest count of 160 babies. In 2025, 11 babies were named Sinead, and it ranked #9,378 nationally. Its use has been fairly steady over the past decade.
Its national rank moved from #4,291 in 1980, #3,511 in 2000, #9,161 in 2010, and #9,378 in 2025. Of the 1,340 US girls named Sinead since records began, 47% were born in the 1990s, its biggest decade. The 2000s come next, with 295 babies. Since 2010, 178 more have been named Sinead.
Other girls' names that peaked around the same time include Janee, Andreina, Erinn, Jenessa, and Jenae.
Gender, sound and spelling
In the US it is used almost only for girls.
Sinead is usually pronounced shih-NAYD, with three syllables. It has six letters, starts with S and ends in “-ad”.
Middle names for Sinead
A few middle names that flow with Sinead: each avoids a matching first letter, a rhyme and a vowel clash where the names meet.
Sibling names for Sinead
Similar names
Abagail Girl
AB-uh-gayl
“my father is joy” · Hebrew
#7,889
Abigael Girl
AB-ih-gayl
“variant of Abigail, my father's joy” · Hebrew
#5,555
Seanna Girl
SHAW-nuh
“feminine of Sean, "God is gracious"” · Irish
#5,372
Mahala Girl
muh-HAY-luh
“variant of Mahalah, tenderness” · Hebrew
#7,359
Mairead Girl
muh-RAYD
“Irish form of Margaret; pearl” · Irish
#4,317
Abigail Girl
A-buh-gayl
“my father is joy” · Hebrew
#41
Samantha Girl
suh-MAN-thuh
“uncertain; possibly Samuel plus -antha” · American (modern coinage)
#151
Brianna Girl
bree-AN-uh
“feminine of Brian” · Irish
#222
Madelyn Girl
MAD-uh-lihn
“of Magdala” · English
#71
Kennedy Girl
KEN-uh-dee
“descendant of Cinneide” · Irish
#85
Isabelle Girl
IH-zuh-behl
“form of Elizabeth; my God is an oath” · French
#166
Makayla Girl
muh-KAY-luh
“modern form of Michaela; who is like God?” · American (modern coinage)
#568
Lists that include Sinead
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Sinead mean?
Sinead is an Irish and Hebrew name that means “God is gracious”.
What is the origin of the name Sinead?
Sinead has Irish and Hebrew roots. Sinéad is the Irish form of Jane or Janet, coming from the French Jeannette, a diminutive of Jeanne.
Is Sinead a popular name?
Not especially. Sinead ranked #9,378 in the US in 2025, which puts it outside the top 1,000.
Is Sinead a boy or girl name?
Sinead is mainly a girl's name. In the US it is used almost only for girls.
How do you pronounce Sinead?
Sinead is usually pronounced shih-NAYD. 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