How to Pronounce the Name Siobhan

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The correct pronunciation for Siobhan (and what the name means)

Co-authored by Jack Wallace and Maryana Lucia Vestic, MFA, M.Phil.

Last Updated: June 11, 2025 Fact Checked

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How to Pronounce Siobhan

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Siobhan Origin & Meaning

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Siobhan vs. Siobhán

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Video

“Siobhan” is a feminine Irish name which means “God is gracious.” It’s also one of the more difficult Irish female names to pronounce. Keep reading if you want to learn how to pronounce “Siobhan” correctly (and impress anyone named Siobhan in your life). We’ll include detailed phonetic spellings of the name, plus a video tutorial on how to say Siobhan properly. You’ll also find out more about the origin, history, and popularity of this beautiful Irish name.

How to Say the Name Siobhan

The Irish name Siobhan is pronounced “Shih-vawn.” Pronounce the "Sio" part of the name as "Shi" using a soft “ih” sound. Then, pronounce the "bhan" part as "vawn,” with a short "a" sound (as in “lawn” or “gone”). Combine both syllables of the name to pronounce “Siobhan” as “Shi-vawn.”

Section 1 of 3:

How to Pronounce Siobhan

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Pronounce the “Sio” portion as “Shi” with a soft “ih” sound. For example, the sound is the same as in the word “ship” or “shiver.”^{[1]
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- The Irish language has a rule of grammar known as the “caol le caol.” Irish has both broad vowels and narrow vowels. When an S appears next to a vowel like “a” or “o,” it sounds like “Sss,” but when it comes before or after a narrow one like “i,” it sounds like “Sh.”^{[2]
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- When you read phonetics, keep in mind that, in Irish, Siobhán has a fada, or accent mark that appears above a vowel. So does Seán, which is why both Seán and Siobhán rhyme with “lawn” instead of “can” when pronounced in Irish or English.^{[3]
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Pronounce the “bhan” portion of the name as “vawn.” “Vawn” should be pronounced to rhyme with “lawn” or “gone.”^{[4]
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- Improve your English pronunciation of Siobhan by considering Irish grammar rules. In Irish, “Bh” and “mh” are usually pronounced as a single letter “v,” which is why Siobhan is pronounced “Shih-vawn.”^{[5]
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Donna Wong, Award-Winning Irish Language Expert

Siobhan is a lovely Gaelic name that trips up many English speakers. The key is realizing 'Siobhan' is pronounced 'shiv-AWN' — not 'see-o-ban.' Say it as if it began with 'shiv' as in 'shiver.' Let the middle vowels lightly combine into 'awn.' With practice, the lilting shiv-AWN will roll naturally off your tongue, beautifully honoring a proud Irish heritage.

Section 2 of 3:

The Origin and Meaning of Siobhan

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Siobhan means “God is gracious.” It’s the Irish equivalent of the name Joan, which also means “The Lord is gracious” and “God’s gracious gift.” Joan is the female variation of John, which comes from the Hebrew Yochanan. It relates to other forms of Joan that include the French Jehanne and Jeanne, and the Hebrew Johanna.^{[7]
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- Male equivalents of Siobhan include the Irish boy names Seán, Shane, and Eoin, which all mean “God is gracious.”
- Siobhan has been used as a name for girls since the 14th century.
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Siobhan also appears as Shavon, Shevaun, and Shivaun. Other modern spelling alternatives to the name include Chevonne, Shaevon, Shavawn, and Shivaun in English. It also appears in other forms in different cultures, like the Welsh Siân, which shares a meaning with Siobhan in Irish, Sheena in Scottish, and Jane in English.^{[8]
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Siobhan isn’t as popular in Ireland as Sophie, Grace, and Emily. It is a traditional Irish name that’s still somewhat common, but isn’t usually ranked in the top Irish girl names. It’s recently been a top 2000 female name in the U.S. and has increased in popularity due to a character named on the HBO series Succession known as Siobhan “Shiv” Roy.^{[9]
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- Have fun with more traditional Irish names by checking out our Irish name generator, which offers traditional Gaelic, Anglo-Irish, mythological, or modern filters you can play with to find the best Irish names.

Section 3 of 3:

Is Siobhan or Siobhán correct?

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Both spellings of Siobhan are correct. In this case, Siobhán is the original Irish spelling of the name, because it includes a Síneadh fada, which is a long accent. When pronouncing Irish names, the accent on the letter “a” in the Irish spelling of Siobhan emphasizes the pronunciation of the “bh” as “v.”^{[10]
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- Celebrity dialect coach Jack Wallace further explains the difference between an Irish accent and a British accent, in that “Irish speakers pronounce "r" sounds consistently, just like Americans. For example, the word "Ireland" in a standard English accent might be pronounced "I-r-land," whereas in an Irish accent, it would be more like "I-er-land." The vowels also change—for example, in the word "goat," the vowel sound is different in Irish versus British pronunciation.”^{[11]
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