Shena

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Shena

Pronounced SHEE-nuh /ˈʃiː.nə/Medium

Meaning: Shena is a shorter spelling of Sheena, the English rendering of the Scottish Gaelic 'Sine' -- itself a form of Jane or Jean, from Hebrew 'Yohanan', 'God is gracious'. So the meaning runs back through Jane to a very old blessing.Low

In 30 seconds: Shena is a slim spelling of Sheena (said 'SHEE-nuh'), a Scottish form of Jane meaning 'God is gracious'. It peaked in the mid-eighties.

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Origin LowEnglish, Scottish

MeaningShena is a shorter spelling of Sheena, the English rendering of the Scottish Gaelic 'Sine' -- itself a form of Jane or Jean, from Hebrew 'Yohanan', 'God is gracious'. So the meaning runs back through Jane to a very old blessing.

U.S. rank (2018)#15392 ↘ Falling

2018 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1984

Total births (all-time)≈ 2,356

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

Shena is a variant of Sheena, the anglicized Scottish Gaelic Sine -- a northern cousin of Jane, and so ultimately Hebrew for 'God is gracious'. The Scottish singer Sheena Easton, a chart fixture in the early eighties, gave the sound a lift on both sides of the Atlantic.

A girl named Shena at its 1984 crest is now around forty. The name is soft and brief; it reads as gently eighties rather than sharply dated, and it sits comfortably beside Gina, Dena and Tina.

Did you know? Sheena drew attention in the early eighties through pop singer Sheena Easton; the trimmed spelling Shena followed and reached its high point in 1984.

Overall data confidence 55%

References -- Shena — Spelling of Sheena (Scottish Sine / Jane); Sheena Easton era

Variations

SheenaShinaSheina

Nicknames

ShenNay

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Shena…

Sheena— the standard parent spelling Shena trims

Gina— a like short two-beat -na name

Dena— a same-era soft -ena girl's name

Tina— a like brief, vowel-bright classic

Explore names like Shena

By themerespelling short scottish 1980s

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Shena mean?

Shena is a spelling of Sheena, a Scottish form of Jane, meaning 'God is gracious' at its Hebrew root.

How do you pronounce Shena?

It's said SHEE-nuh /ˈʃiː.nə/ -- two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Shena a boy or girl name?

Shena is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Shena?

Shena was an uncommon spelling of Sheena that peaked in the mid-eighties and has been quiet since.