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Shiona

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Shiona

Pronounced shee-OH-nah /ʃiˈoʊ.nə/Medium

Meaning: Shiona is best explained as a feminine elaboration of Sion (the Gaelic form of John) or a respelling of Siona/Sionna, an Irish river-goddess name; the exact route is uncertain, and it may also function as an independent American coinage with a Gaelic-flavored sound.Low

In 30 seconds: Shiona is an uncertain-origin girl's name with a Gaelic-flavored sound, possibly linked to Sion or Sionna. It stayed rare in the United States, peaking around 1981.

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Origin LowScottish, American

MeaningShiona is best explained as a feminine elaboration of Sion (the Gaelic form of John) or a respelling of Siona/Sionna, an Irish river-goddess name; the exact route is uncertain, and it may also function as an independent American coinage with a Gaelic-flavored sound.

U.S. rank (2002)#17717 ↘ Falling

2002 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1981

Total births (all-time)≈ 24

History & Origin

Shiona most plausibly draws on Sion, the Gaelic form of John, or Sionna, an Irish mythological river name; the precise path is uncertain, which we note honestly rather than assert a confident etymology. It appears only lightly across United States records.

Shiona was never common, given to about nineteen girls at its 1981 peak and to only twenty-four total spread across a long, scattered run from 1981 to 2002. It reads today as an unusual, softly Celtic-sounding name.

Did you know? Shiona's sound recalls Sionna, a river-goddess name from Irish legend tied to the River Shannon, though the American given name's exact link to that root is unconfirmed.

Overall data confidence 35%

References - Shiona — Possible link to Sion (Gaelic John) or Sionna (Irish river-goddess); route uncertain

Variations

SionaSionnaShona

Nicknames

ShiOna

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Shiona…

Shona— a like Gaelic-flavored short name

Siobhan— a like Irish name of similar sound

Fiona— a like Scottish-Gaelic-styled girl's name

Melona— echoes that soft -na sound

Elverna— shares Shiona's American roots

Explore names like Shiona

By themeuncertain vintage scottish uncommon

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Shiona mean?

Its exact origin is uncertain; it most plausibly draws on Sion, the Gaelic form of John, or the Irish river name Sionna.

How do you pronounce Shiona?

It is said shee-OH-nah /ʃiˈoʊ.nə/, three syllables with the stress on the second.

Is Shiona a boy or girl name?

Shiona is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Shiona?

It has always been rare in the United States, given to only about nineteen girls a year at its peak in the early 1980s.