Shana

♀ Girl

Pronounced SHAH-nah /ˈʃɑ.nɑ/Medium

Meaning: From Yiddish sheyne/shayna, 'beautiful', or a feminine of Shane (John, 'God is gracious'); routes layeredMedium

In 30 seconds: Beautiful and warm: Shana is Yiddish 'beautiful' (and a feminine of Shane, 'God is gracious'). Soft, classic, and lovely.

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Origin MediumYiddish, Hebrew

MeaningFrom Yiddish sheyne/shayna, 'beautiful', or a feminine of Shane (John, 'God is gracious'); routes layered

U.S. rank (2025)#5213 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births25 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1984

Total births (all-time)≈ 29,633

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Shana comes from Yiddish shayna, 'beautiful', and overlaps a feminine of Shane — an Irish form of John, 'God is gracious' (routes layered, which we note). A soft, warm classic.

It registers thinly today. Rare, beautiful-or-gracious at the root, and lovely.

Did you know? Shana comes from Yiddish shayna, 'beautiful' — and overlaps a feminine of Shane (John, 'God is gracious'); the word shana also means 'year' in Hebrew.

Overall data confidence 68%

Behind the Name — Shana — routes layered

Variations

ShainaShaynaShanna

Nicknames

Shan

Famous Bearers

★Shana Alexander (1925-2005)
American journalist and author, known as a commentator on CBS News 60 Minutes

If you like Shana…

Shaina— a fellow Yiddish 'beautiful' name

Shayna— a companion spelling

Hannah— the 'grace' echo

Dana— a fellow Hebrew choice

Juana— shares Shana's Hebrew roots

Explore names like Shana

By themeuncertain hebrew yiddish

By meaningGod / Divine Grace Beauty

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Shana mean?

Shana is Yiddish for 'beautiful', and a feminine of Shane ('God is gracious'); the routes are layered.

How do you pronounce Shana?

It's said SHAH-nah /ˈʃɑ.nɑ/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Shana a boy or girl name?

Shana is a girl's name.

How popular is Shana?

Shana is a rare name in the U.S. today.