Siobhan

Siobhan is an Irish girl’s name, the female equivalent of Seán. It was the Norman-French who introduced the names Jean and Jehanne to the Irish (cognates of the English Joan and John). In the Irish-Gaelic tongue, Jean became Seán (pronounced SHAWN) and Jehanne became Siobhan (pronounced shi-VAWN). The Irish adopted the names to their own language after the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland (12th century). The French Jean (John) comes from the Latin Iohannes and Jehanne (Joan) from the Latin Iohanna; both of which are derived from the Biblical Hebrew “Yochanan” meaning “Yahweh is gracious” or “God is merciful, generous” (the name John first appears in the Old Testament in the person of one of King David’s mighty men). However, for Christians, it was the New Testament Johns (i.e., the Baptist and the Apostle) who carried a lot of importance and served to elevate the name. Iohannes was revived among Western European Christians during the Crusades, a series of religious wars between the 11th and 13th centuries whereby European Roman Catholics attempted to recapture the Holy Lands from the Muslims and other infidels. It was the crusading knights who returned to Europe with this highly significant Biblical name (and feminine forms were created in various languages, as well). Consider the 15th century French Jeanne d'Arc (Joan of Arc). The hardcore Irish Catholics readily adopted the name to their own language – and this is where we get Siobhan. In more modern times, the name was further popularized in Ireland thanks to Siobhán McKenna, a respected Irish stage and film actress (1923-1986).