UK name, mostly boys
Shine
A name meaning "to emit light or radiance, to be bright".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Also recorded as a girls' name in the UK, with 16 girls.
Shine is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Shine popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2671, with 8 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 8 births.
This profile covers 18 England and Wales registrations across 3 recorded years from 2022 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
Shine is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 18 living people in the UK are called Shine. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Shine ranked #2671 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 8 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2024, when 8 boys were registered as Shine.
- • Shine is also recorded for girls, but the boys side is the larger UK variant in these records.
- • About 18 living people in the UK are estimated to have Shine as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 52.9% of Shine registrations are for boys.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2671
2024
Births in 2024
8
Latest year
Peak year
2024
8 births
Estimated living
18
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Shine
In England and Wales birth records, Shine has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 52.9% of registrations are for boys and 47.1% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Shine registered for boys
- Ranked #2,671 in 2024
- 8 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (8 births)
Shine registered for girls
- Ranked #3,218 in 2023
- 7 girls registered in 2023
- Peak: 2023 (7 births)
Meaning
What does Shine mean?
The name Shine has its origins in the English language, derived from the word "shine" which means to emit or radiate light. It is believed to have emerged as a given name in the late 17th or early 18th century, during the height of the Enlightenment period in Europe.
One of the earliest recorded uses of Shine as a given name can be found in the writings of the English philosopher and physician Thomas Browne, who mentioned a person named "Shine" in his work "Pseudo-doxia Epidemica" published in 1646. However, it's unclear whether this was a real person or a fictional character.
In the late 18th century, Shine began to gain popularity as a given name, particularly among English Quakers and other Protestant groups who embraced the symbolic meaning of light and radiance. One notable early bearer of the name was Shine Milton (1768-1837), an English Quaker preacher and author.
As the name spread across the English-speaking world, it became associated with various cultural and religious movements that emphasized the metaphorical concepts of light, enlightenment, and spiritual awakening. In the 19th century, Shine was adopted by some members of the Transcendentalist movement in the United States, which was influenced by Eastern philosophies and the idea of seeking inner illumination.
Notable people named Shine throughout history include:
1. Shine Fox (1782-1858), an English Quaker minister and writer. 2. Shine Walker (1834-1901), an American Baptist minister and abolitionist. 3. Shine Moss (1886-1965), an American blues singer and guitarist. 4. Shine Muskett (1891-1965), an Australian rules footballer and coach. 5. Shine Thompson (1923-2012), an American jazz pianist and composer.
While Shine has remained a relatively uncommon given name, it has continued to hold symbolic significance for those drawn to its connotations of radiance, positivity, and spiritual enlightenment.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Shine over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Shine in England and Wales, from 2011 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Shine, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 8 births in 2024, compared with 8 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shine by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Shine was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #3472 | 18 | 3 |
Related
Names similar to Shine
- Samuel 108,505
- Sebastian 33,008
- Sam 20,889
- Stanley 16,354
- Sonny 15,028
- Sean 15,006
- Scott 12,587
- Seth 9,841
- Syed 9,050
- Stephen 8,884
- Spencer 8,333
- Steven 6,970
FAQ
Shine: questions and answers
How popular is the name Shine in the UK right now?
In 2024, Shine was ranked #2671 for boys in England and Wales, with 8 births registered.
When was Shine most popular?
The peak year on record was 2024, with 8 babies registered as Shine in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Shine?
A name meaning "to emit light or radiance, to be bright".
How many people are called Shine in the UK?
A total of 18 babies have been registered as Shine across the 3 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.