Total births
2,526
Girls' name · since 1962
Shanel
2,526 babies named Shanel in U.S. Social Security records since 1962, with the highest year being 1991. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #8536
- among girls today
- 2,526
- born since 1962
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 52%
- more common than other girls
2,526 babies have been named Shanel since 1962, making it today's #8536 girls' name.
Shanel has 2,526 recorded births among girls since 1962, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #8536 as of the latest data, more common than 52% of girls, 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 1962 to 2025.
- #8536 among girls today
- 2,526 born since 1962
- 1980s peak decade
- 52% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Shanel is currently the #8536 girls' name in America, more common than 52% of girls - 2,526 born since 1962, peaking in the 1980s.
- #8536
- among girls today
- 2,526
- born since 1962
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 52%
- more common than other girls
Shanel vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#8536
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 52% of names given to girls today.
1980s
Peak decade
30% of everyone ever named Shanel was born in this single decade.
1991
Single peak year
100 babies were named Shanel in 1991 - its busiest year on record.
How Shanel compares
2,526 Top 19% higher than 81% 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
Shanel's all-time total is 7x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Shanel | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,526 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 100 | 48 | 19,840 |
Shanel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Shanel's SSA record in two at 1995 and the more recent half accounts for 37% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 63%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1962, with only 6 births recorded -- set against the 1991 peak of 100, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Shanel at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1991
Current rank
#8,536
Active since
1962
Shanel popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1962–2025
- Peak year (1991)
- 100
- Annual births at peak, across 64 years of records
Shanel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Shanel's strongest decade.
769 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 30% of all-time use.
Shanel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 56
1960s
56 births
- 1970s
1970s
342 births
- 1980s
1980s
769 births
- 1990s
1990s
686 births
- 2000s
2000s
337 births
- 2010s 263
2010s
263 births
- 2020s 73
2020s
73 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 769 births (30% of all-time use).
How Shanel 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 Shanel's total volume
Shanel vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Shanel by state
Where Shanel concentrates geographically, total births since 1962
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 303 | 12.0% |
| #2 | California | | 271 | 10.7% |
| #3 | Florida | | 57 | 2.3% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 33 | 1.3% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 33 | 1.3% |
| #6 | Texas | | 33 | 1.3% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 29 | 1.1% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 27 | 1.1% |
New York share of Shanel's total US births 12.0%
Even split
303 of 2,526 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 13 reporting states.
Shanel appears in 13 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shanel? ▼
Shanel has been given to 2,526 babies in the U.S. since 1962, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #8536 as of the latest data. 100 babies were born in 1991, its single highest year.
When was Shanel most popular? ▼
Shanel was most popular in the 1980s decade with 769 total births. The single peak year was 1991.
Where is Shanel most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Shanel are New York (303 births), California (271 births), Florida (57 births).
How long has the name Shanel been used? ▼
Records for Shanel go back to 1962, giving 64 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Shanel? ▼
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 Shanel's data
- Shanel's decade-level peak was the 1980s (769 total births); usage has since declined to 73 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Shanels (303 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Shanel
Nearby Names Like Shanel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shanel
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 Shanel side by side: Shanel vs Sharon Shanel vs Shannon Shanel vs Shawna
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Shanel
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, 1962–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Shanel: #8536 Girls' Name - 2,526 Births, Peak 1991." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/shanel. 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 Shanel 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.