Shana (given name)
Shana is a feminine given name of multiple origins. The pronunciation of the name varies depending upon the context and source.
According to Bruce Lansky, Shana occurs as a familiar diminutive or form of Shannon, a Gaelic name, meaning "small and wise." [1] It relates to the longest river in Ireland, the Shannon, which earned its namesake from Celtic goddess Sionna, who sought the enchanted hazelnuts of wisdom. [2] Legends vary about the creation of the river, but they all recount the drowning of the Sionna, granddaughter of the great sea god Lir, usually at an undersea well. [3] Some derive the denomination of the name Shannon, known by the Irish as Sionnain, from the phrase sean-amhan or "old river." [4] An alternate spelling for Shana is Shanna.
Beyond its Irish roots, Shana is also often used as a nickname for Shoshana, an ancient form of Susannah, and means "lily" or "rose" in Hebrew. The name Shaina, sometimes spelled Shayna or Shana, is of Yiddish origin, and implies "beautiful."
People named Shana
Notable people with the name include:
- Shana Alexander (1925–2005), journalist
- Shana Dale (born 1964), NASA deputy administrator
- Shana Hiatt (born 1975), model
- Shana Madoff (born 1967), compliance officer and attorney at securities firm of Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff
- Shana Morrison (born 1970), singer-songwriter
- Shana Petrone (born 1972), singer
- Shana Cox (born 1985), athlete
- Shana Swash (born 1990), British actress
Fictional characters
- Shana, character in the 1999 video game The Legend of Dragoon
- Shana, character in Shakugan no Shana
- Shana Fring, character in Pretty Little Liars
People named Shaina or Shayna
- Shaina Magdayao, (born 1989) Filipina actress, dancer, singer and model
- Shaina Sandoval, (born 1992) American actress
- Shayna Baszler, martial artist
- Shayna Fox (born 1984), American voice actress
- Shayna Levine, actress
- Shayna Nackoney (born 1982), synchronized swimmer
- Shayna Richardson (born 1984), Missouri skydiver who survived a fall
- Shayna Rose (born 1983), soap opera actress
See also
- Shanna, a similar and sometimes related name
References
- ↑ Lansky, Bruce. 10,000 Baby Names. New York, New York: Simon & Schuster, 1985. 65. Print.
- ↑ Domhnaill, Fadó. Fadó: Tales of Lesser Known Irish History. Leicestershire, UK: Matador, 2013. 7. Print.
- ↑ Bulik, Mark. The Sons of Molly Maguire: The Irish Roots of America's First Labor War. Fordham University Press, 2015. Print.
- ↑ Wood, Thomas. An Inquiry concerning the Primitive Inhabitants of Ireland. London, 1821. 117. Print.