Siobhan


Siobhán is a female name of Irish origin. The most common anglicisations are Siobhan, Shavawn, 'Shebahn, Shauvan, Shevaun and Shivaun. A now uncommon spelling variant is Siubhán'.
It is derived from the Anglo-Norman Jehane and Jehanne, which were introduced into Ireland by the Anglo-Normans in the Middle Ages. The name first appears in the surviving Irish annals in the early fourteenth century.
The name is thus a cognate of the Welsh Siân and the English Joan, derived from the Latin Ioanna and Iohanna, which are in turn from the Greek Iōanna. This Greek name is a feminine form of the Greek Iōannēs, which is in turn a shortened form of the Hebrew Johanan, meaning 'God is gracious', and origin of the masculine name John and its cognates.
The popularity of the actress Siobhán McKenna helped the resurgence of the name in the 20th century.
The Scottish Gaelic form of the name is Siobhàn.
The male Irish forms of the name are Seán and Eóin.

People

Siobhán has a corresponding diminutive form, Sinéad. Examples of this name include Sinéad O'Connor.