Girls' name · since 1970
Shanay
Since 1970, U.S. Social Security records show 1,415 babies named Shanay, peaking in 1992. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #5,924 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 1,415
- born since 1970
- 1980s
- peak decade
Shanay sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 1,415 recorded since 1970.
Shanay has 1,415 recorded births among girls since 1970, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1980s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1970 to 2012.
- #5,924 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 1,415 born since 1970
- 1980s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shanay ranks #5,924 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 1,415 born since 1970, peaking in the 1980s.
- #5,924 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 1,415
- born since 1970
- 1980s
- peak decade
Shanay's 1,415 recorded births place it above 91.8% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
16 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by New York.
Shanay's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Shanay splits its recorded history at 1992: 29% of all births land in the more recent half, 71% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 2008 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1992 peak of 153 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Shanay popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1970–2012
- Peak year (1992)
- 153
- Annual births at peak, across 43 years of records
Shanay popularity over time - boys
50 total births recorded since 2017 (Shanay as boys' name)
Shanay by decade
1980s is the heaviest window (602 births, 43% of the file).
1980s was Shanay's strongest decade.
602 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 43% of all-time use.
Shanay births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 132
1970s
132 births
- 1980s
1980s
602 births
- 1990s
1990s
572 births
- 2000s 99
2000s
99 births
- 2010s 10
2010s
10 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 602 births (43% of all-time use).
How Shanay 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 Shanay's total volume
Shanay by state
Where Shanay concentrates geographically, total births since 1970
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 182 | 12.9% |
| #2 | California | | 115 | 8.1% |
| #3 | Maryland | | 68 | 4.8% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 66 | 4.7% |
| #5 | New Jersey | | 53 | 3.7% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 44 | 3.1% |
| #7 | Florida | | 34 | 2.4% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 34 | 2.4% |
182 of 1,415 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 16 reporting states.
Shanay appears in 16 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Shanay's data
- Shanay's decade-level peak was the 1980s (602 total births); usage has since declined to 10 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Shanays (182 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Shanay
Nearby Names Like Shanay
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shanay
Compare Shanay side by side: Shanay vs Sharon Shanay vs Shannon Shanay 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 Shanay: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1992)
Similar record span (~42 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, 1970–2012 (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 Shanay 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.