Total births
4,707
Girls' name · since 1964
Shanell
Shanell has 4,707 recorded births since 1964 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1990 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #8069
- among girls today
- 4,707
- born since 1964
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 54%
- more common than other girls
4,707 babies have been named Shanell since 1964, making it today's #8069 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Shanell recorded 4,707 times among girls since 1964, holding rank #8069 nationally today, ahead of 54% of girls, peaking in the 1980s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1964 to 2025.
- #8069 among girls today
- 4,707 born since 1964
- 1980s peak decade
- 54% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Shanell is currently the #8069 girls' name in America, more common than 54% of girls - 4,707 born since 1964, peaking in the 1980s.
- #8069
- among girls today
- 4,707
- born since 1964
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 54%
- more common than other girls
Shanell vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#8069
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 54% of names given to girls today.
1980s
Peak decade
33% of everyone ever named Shanell was born in this single decade.
1990
Single peak year
208 babies were named Shanell in 1990 - its busiest year on record.
How Shanell compares
4,707 Top 14% higher than 86% 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
Shanell's all-time total is 12x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Shanell | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,707 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 208 | 48 | 19,840 |
Shanell's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Shanell's full recorded timeline at 1995, 30% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 70% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 2025, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1990 peak of 208 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Shanell at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1990
Current rank
#8,069
Active since
1964
Shanell popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1964–2025
- Peak year (1990)
- 208
- Annual births at peak, across 62 years of records
Shanell popularity over time - boys
12 total births recorded since 1974 (Shanell as boys' name)
Shanell by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Shanell's strongest decade.
1,550 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 33% of all-time use.
Shanell births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 101
1960s
101 births
- 1970s
1970s
798 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,550 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,223 births
- 2000s 576
2000s
576 births
- 2010s 382
2010s
382 births
- 2020s 77
2020s
77 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 1,550 births (33% of all-time use).
How Shanell 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 Shanell's total volume
Shanell vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Shanell by state
Where Shanell concentrates geographically, total births since 1964
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 565 | 12.0% |
| #2 | California | | 408 | 8.7% |
| #3 | Florida | | 210 | 4.5% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 202 | 4.3% |
| #5 | Maryland | | 173 | 3.7% |
| #6 | Texas | | 159 | 3.4% |
| #7 | Louisiana | | 139 | 3.0% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 139 | 3.0% |
New York share of Shanell's total US births 12.0%
Even split
565 of 4,707 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 27 reporting states.
Shanell appears in 27 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shanell? ▼
Since 1964, Social Security records show 4,707 babies named Shanell. Today it holds rank #8069 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1990, with 208 births.
When was Shanell most popular? ▼
Shanell was most popular in the 1980s decade with 1,550 total births. The single peak year was 1990.
Where is Shanell most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Shanell are New York (565 births), California (408 births), Florida (210 births).
How long has the name Shanell been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Shanell since 1964 -- 62 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Shanell? ▼
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 Shanell's data
- Shanell's decade-level peak was the 1980s (1,550 total births); usage has since declined to 77 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Shanells (565 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 Shanell
Nearby Names Like Shanell
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shanell
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 Shanell side by side: Shanell vs Sharon Shanell vs Shannon Shanell vs Shawna
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Shanell
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, 1964–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Shanell: #8069 Girls' Name - 4,707 Births, Peak 1990." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/shanell. 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 Shanell 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.