The most common anglicisations are Siobhan (identical to the Irish spelling but omitting the Síneadh fada acute accent over the 'a'), Shavawn, Shevaun and Shivaun.
[5] The name first appears in the surviving Irish annals in the early fourteenth century.
[6] The name is thus a cognate of the Welsh Siân and the English Joan,[4][7] derived from the Latin Ioanna and Iohanna (modern English Joanna, Joanne), which are in turn from the Greek Iōanna (Ἰωάννα).
[citation needed] The popularity of the actress Siobhán McKenna (1923–1986) helped the resurgence of the name in the 20th century.
[9] The Scottish Gaelic form of the name is Siobhàn[10][2][11] (which is sometimes anglicised Judith).