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Shawni

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Shawni

Pronounced SHAW-nee /ˈʃɔː.ni/Medium

Meaning: Shawni is a feminine -i respelling of Shawna, itself a feminine of Shawn (Sean), the Irish form of John, from Hebrew Yochanan, 'God is gracious'. The playful -i ending is mid-century; the meaning descends from John.Low

In 30 seconds: Shawni is a feminine spin on Shawn, the Irish John meaning 'God is gracious' (said 'SHAW-nee'). A bright later-century form.

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Origin LowEnglish, Hebrew

MeaningShawni is a feminine -i respelling of Shawna, itself a feminine of Shawn (Sean), the Irish form of John, from Hebrew Yochanan, 'God is gracious'. The playful -i ending is mid-century; the meaning descends from John.

U.S. rank (1997)#11895 ↘ Falling

1997 U.S. births7 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1992

Total births (all-time)≈ 230

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

Shawni is a feminine respelling built on Shawna and Shawn, the anglicized Irish Sean, from Hebrew for 'God is gracious'. Its trimmed -i ending marks it as a mid-to-later-century personalization.

Shawni was always a rarity, borne by only a few dozen girls a year at its peak before fading. It reads as a variant and nickname-name rather than a distinct name; the Shawn family has cooled, and this spelling stays firmly of its time.

Did you know? Shawn, Shawna and Shawni all descend from Sean, the Irish form of John; the -i ending on Shawni matches the era's Terri, Sherri and Barri.

Overall data confidence 50%

References — Shawn / Shawna — Irish Sean from John; -i respelling

Variations

ShawnaShauniShawnie

Nicknames

ShawShawn

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Shawni…

Shawna— the parent name Shawni respells

Shauna— a like feminine of Shawn

Shawnee— a near-homophone place-and-name of the era

Tawni— another trimmed -i girls' name of the same generation

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Shawni mean?

Shawni is a feminine respelling of Shawna and Shawn, from the Irish form of John, Hebrew for 'God is gracious'.

How do you pronounce Shawni?

It's said SHAW-nee /ˈʃɔː.ni/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Shawni a boy or girl name?

Shawni is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Shawni?

Shawni has always been rare in the U.S., a feminine respelling in the Shawn family.