| Zion | Shai | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | highest point; the holy hill of Jerusalem | gift |
| Origin | hebrew | hebrew |
| Gender | Unisex | Unisex |
| Pronunciation | ZY-un | SHY |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| First appeared | 1917 | 0 |
| Peak year | 2023 (2,889) | 2023 (224) |
| In 2025 | 2,496 | 0 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Zion | Shai |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 15,693 | 1,177 |
| 2010s | 17,789 | 570 |
| 2000s | 11,635 | 354 |
| 1990s | 1,605 | 254 |
| 1980s | 86 | 80 |
| 1970s | 57 | 34 |
| 1910s | 6 | 0 |
From Hebrew 'Tziyyon', the name of a hill in Jerusalem that came to stand for the city, the Promised Land and a place of peace. A long-standing biblical/geographic name now popular as a given name.
From Hebrew shai 'gift'. The 'gift' meaning is widely cited, though the origin is disputed: some sources derive the name instead as a diminutive of Yeshayahu (Isaiah), 'God is salvation'.
Zion is more popular than Shai today: about 2,496 US babies were given the name Zion in 2025, compared with 0 named Shai.
Zion means highest point; the holy hill of Jerusalem (hebrew origin), while Shai means gift (hebrew origin).
In US records, Zion first appears in 1917 and Shai in 0, so Shai has the longer recorded history.