Total births
29,635
Girls' name · since 1937
Shana
Shana has 29,635 recorded births since 1937 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1984 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #4217
- among girls today
- 29,635
- born since 1937
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 76%
- more common than other girls
Shana currently ranks #4217 among girls' names in America, with 29,635 babies recorded since 1937.
Social Security Administration records show Shana recorded 29,635 times among girls since 1937, holding rank #4217 nationally today, ahead of 76% of girls, peaking in the 1970s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1937 to 2025.
- #4217 among girls today
- 29,635 born since 1937
- 1970s peak decade
- 76% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Shana is currently the #4217 girls' name in America, more common than 76% of girls - 29,635 born since 1937, peaking in the 1970s.
- #4217
- among girls today
- 29,635
- born since 1937
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 76%
- more common than other girls
Shana vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#4217
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 76% of names given to girls today.
1970s
Peak decade
35% of everyone ever named Shana was born in this single decade.
1984
Single peak year
1,563 babies were named Shana in 1984 - its busiest year on record.
How Shana compares
29,635 Top 5% higher than 95% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Shana's all-time total is 78x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Shana | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 29,635 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 1,563 | 48 | 19,840 |
Shana's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Shana splits its recorded history at 1982: 48% of all births land in the more recent half, 52% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1937 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1984 peak of 1,563 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Shana at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1984
Current rank
#4,217
Active since
1937
Shana popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1937–2025
- Peak year (1984)
- 1,563
- Annual births at peak, across 89 years of records
Shana popularity over time - boys
113 total births recorded since 1972 (Shana as boys' name)
Shana by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Shana's strongest decade.
10,230 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 35% of all-time use.
Shana births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1930s 13
1930s
13 births
- 1940s 90
1940s
90 births
- 1950s 313
1950s
313 births
- 1960s 2,905
1960s
2,905 births
- 1970s
1970s
10,230 births
- 1980s
1980s
9,957 births
- 1990s
1990s
4,424 births
- 2000s 1,188
2000s
1,188 births
- 2010s 367
2010s
367 births
- 2020s 148
2020s
148 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 10,230 births (35% of all-time use).
How Shana compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Shana's total volume
Shana vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Shana by state
Where Shana concentrates geographically, total births since 1937
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 2,666 | 9.0% |
| #2 | New York | | 2,158 | 7.3% |
| #3 | Texas | | 1,938 | 6.5% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 1,415 | 4.8% |
| #5 | Florida | | 1,243 | 4.2% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 1,231 | 4.2% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 1,189 | 4.0% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 1,027 | 3.5% |
California share of Shana's total US births 9.0%
Even split
2,666 of 29,635 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 50 reporting states.
Shana appears in 50 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shana? ▼
29,635 babies have been named Shana since 1937. It currently ranks #4217 among girls. The peak year was 1984 with 1,563 births.
When was Shana most popular? ▼
Shana was most popular in the 1970s decade with 10,230 total births. The single peak year was 1984.
Where is Shana most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Shana are California (2,666 births), New York (2,158 births), Texas (1,938 births).
How long has the name Shana been used? ▼
Shana has been recorded in Social Security data since 1937, spanning 89 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Shana? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Sharon, Shannon, Shawna, Shari, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Shana's data
- Shana's decade-level peak was the 1970s (10,230 total births); usage has since declined to 148 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Shanas (2,666 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Shana
Nearby Names Like Shana
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shana
Sharon Girl
#1224 723,024 births
Shannon Girl
#1874 295,782 births
Shawna Girl
#6004 45,531 births
Shari Girl
#13636 40,927 births
Shawn Girl
#7307 33,055 births
Compare Shana side by side: Shana vs Sharon Shana vs Shannon Shana vs Shawna
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Shana
Roslynn #4216
1,339 births · Peak 2014
Jackeline #4218
6,534 births · Peak 2000
Darlyn #4215
2,064 births · Peak 2021
Marisela #4219
10,309 births · Peak 1985
Adelita #4214
1,900 births · Peak 1961
Tommi #4220
1,815 births · Peak 1976
Blaine #4213
1,236 births · Peak 1988
Brianne #4221
20,473 births · Peak 1979
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1937–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Shana: #4217 Girls' Name - 29,635 Births, Peak 1984." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/shana. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Shana draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.