Shayna (or Shaina) is a feminine name of Yiddish origin, meaning "beautiful" or "lovely". It derives from the Yiddish adjective sheyn (Yiddish: שיין), cognate with modern German schön. The name evokes the Yiddish phrase "אַ שיינע מיידל" ("a shayne maydel", meaning "a lovely girl"). Shaina is an alternate transcription of the Yiddish שיינאַ. Its Hebrew equivalent is Yaffa (יפה) or Yafit (יַפִית).
During the years following the Holocaust, many Yiddish-speaking families chose to distance themselves from their diasporic heritage by Hebraicizing names. Shayna was often changed to Yaffa upon immigrating to Israel, following a broader trend of replacing Yiddish or East European names with Hebrew ones. Similarly, its Arabic cognate, Jamila, was also Hebraicized to Yaffa.
Notable bearers of the name include Shaina Magdayao (born 1989), a Filipina actress, dancer, singer, and model; Shaina NC (born 1972), an Indian fashion designer, politician, and social worker; and Shaina Nitura (born 2004), a Filipina volleyball player. Other individuals include Bangladeshi actress and model Shaina Amin and American writer and producer Shaina Fewell.
Related forms of the name include Shayna, Shaynah, Shana, Sheine, and the diminutive Shaindel.
- Meaning: Beautiful, lovely
- Origin: Yiddish
- Type: Feminine given name
- Usage regions: Jewish communities, especially in the United States and Israel; also used in Filipino culture
Sources: Wikipedia — Shayna