Unisex name · since 1955
Shanan
Shanan has 745 recorded births since 1955 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1970 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #9,167 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 745
- born since 1955
- 1970s
- peak decade
Shanan is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 745 have been recorded since 1955.
Shanan has 745 recorded births among girls since 1955, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1970s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1955 to 1998.
- #9,167 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 745 born since 1955
- 1970s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shanan ranks #9,167 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 745 born since 1955, peaking in the 1970s.
- #9,167 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 745
- born since 1955
- 1970s
- peak decade
Shanan's 745 recorded births place it above 87.32% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 5 jurisdictions, led by California.
Shanan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Shanan splits its recorded history at 1979: 38% of all births land in the more recent half, 62% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1955 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1970 peak of 53 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Shanan popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1955–1998
- Peak year (1970)
- 53
- Annual births at peak, across 44 years of records
Shanan popularity over time - boys
123 total births recorded since 1968 (Shanan as boys' name)
Shanan by decade
1970s is the heaviest window (365 births, 49% of the file).
1970s was Shanan's strongest decade.
365 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 49% of all-time use.
Shanan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 10
1950s
10 births
- 1960s 116
1960s
116 births
- 1970s
1970s
365 births
- 1980s
1980s
178 births
- 1990s 76
1990s
76 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 365 births (49% of all-time use).
How Shanan 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 Shanan's total volume
Shanan by state
Where Shanan concentrates geographically, total births since 1955
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 38 | 5.1% |
| #2 | Texas | | 10 | 1.3% |
| #3 | New York | | 5 | 0.7% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 5 | 0.7% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 5 | 0.7% |
38 of 745 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 5 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shanan? ▼
Where does Shanan sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Shanan most popular? ▼
Where is Shanan most popular? ▼
Is Shanan a unisex name? ▼
How long has the name Shanan been used? ▼
What names are similar to Shanan? ▼
What to do with Shanan's data
- Shanan's decade-level peak was the 1970s (365 total births); usage has since declined to 76 in the 1990s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Shanans (38 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Shanan
Nearby Names Like Shanan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shanan
Compare Shanan side by side: Shanan vs Sharon Shanan vs Shannon Shanan vs Shawna
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Shanan: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1970)
Similar record span (~43 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1955–1998 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Shanan 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 August 2026.