Unisex name · since 1976

Shanga

Since 1976, U.S. Social Security records show 36 babies named Shanga, peaking in 1979. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.

#24,583 of 45,481
all-time among boys
36
born since 1976
1970s
peak decade

Shanga sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 36 recorded since 1976.

Social Security Administration records show Shanga recorded 36 times among boys since 1976, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, 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 1976 to 1983.

  • #24,583 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • 36 born since 1976
  • 1970s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shanga ranks #24,583 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 36 born since 1976, peaking in the 1970s.

#24,583 of 45,481
all-time among boys
36
born since 1976
1970s
peak decade
Below the archive median
All-time archive position

Shanga's 36 recorded births place it above 45.88% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

National only
State-record footprint

No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.

Shanga's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Shanga splits its recorded history at 1979: 61% of all births land in the more recent half, 39% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1976 (6 births) -- compare that against the 1979 peak of 16 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.

Shanga popularity over time - boys

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1976–1983

Last recorded 1983
Peak year (1979)
16
Annual births at peak, across 8 years of records
5101520 1976197819791983 6

Shanga popularity over time - girls

5 total births recorded since 1979 (Shanga as girls' name)

Unisex variant - 5 births
5 1979 5

Shanga by decade

1970s is the heaviest window (30 births, 83% of the file).

1970s was Shanga's strongest decade.

30 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 83% of all-time use.

Shanga births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1970s at 30 births (83% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Shanga? ▼
36 babies have been named Shanga since 1976. All-time, it sits at #24,583 of 45,481 boys' names by recorded births. It was last recorded in 1983. The peak year was 1979 with 16 births.
Where does Shanga sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shanga ranks #24,583 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Shanga most popular? ▼
Shanga was most popular in the 1970s decade with 30 total births. The single peak year was 1979.
Is Shanga a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Shanga is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 36 births, and as a girl's name it has 5 births.
How long has the name Shanga been used? ▼
Records for Shanga go back to 1976, giving 8 years of history through 1983.
What names are similar to Shanga? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Shawn, Shane, Shaun, Shannon, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Shanga's data

  • Shanga's decade-level peak was the 1970s (30 total births); usage has since declined to 6 in the 1980s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Shanga

Nearby Names Like Shanga

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shanga

Shawn Boy
#682 306,542 births
Shane Boy
#635 192,583 births
Shaun Boy
#1944 70,481 births
Shannon Boy
#2994 52,379 births
Shayne Boy
#3528 10,741 births

Compare Shanga side by side: Shanga vs Shawn Shanga vs Shane Shanga vs Shaun

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Nath
36 births · Peak 1924
Filadelfio
36 births · Peak 1916
Charl
36 births · Peak 1934
Flavil
36 births · Peak 1934
Vincil
36 births · Peak 1921
Cyrill
36 births · Peak 1916
Domer
36 births · Peak 1925
Elzo
36 births · Peak 1920

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Shanga: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

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, 1976–1983 (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 Shanga 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.