Girls' name · since 1962
Shani
Since 1962, U.S. Social Security records show 4,525 babies named Shani, peaking in 1969. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2,743 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #12,133 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 4,525
- born since 1962
- 1970s
- peak decade
Yes -- Shani is the #12133 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 4,525 recorded since 1962.
Social Security Administration records show Shani recorded 4,525 times among girls since 1962, holding rank #12133 nationally today, ahead of 30% of girls, 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 1962 to 2025.
- #2,743 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #12,133 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 4,525 born since 1962
- 1970s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shani ranks #2,743 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #12,133 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 4,525 born since 1962, peaking in the 1970s.
- #2,743 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #12,133 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 4,525
- born since 1962
- 1970s
- peak decade
Shani's 4,525 recorded births place it above 96.2% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
27 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Shani compares
4,525 Top 15% higher than 85% of 17,297 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
Shani's all-time total is 12x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Shani | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,525 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 223 | 21 | 19,840 |
Shani's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Shani's full recorded timeline at 1994, 29% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 71% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1963, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1969 peak of 223 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Shani popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1962–2025
- Peak year (1969)
- 223
- Annual births at peak, across 64 years of records
Shani popularity over time - boys
17 total births recorded since 1975 (Shani as boys' name)
Shani by decade
1970s is the heaviest window (1,429 births, 32% of the file).
1970s was Shani's strongest decade.
1,429 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 32% of all-time use.
Shani births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 413
1960s
413 births
- 1970s
1970s
1,429 births
- 1980s
1980s
920 births
- 1990s
1990s
866 births
- 2000s
2000s
592 births
- 2010s 216
2010s
216 births
- 2020s 89
2020s
89 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 1,429 births (32% of all-time use).
How Shani 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 Shani's total volume
Shani by state
Where Shani concentrates geographically, total births since 1962
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 648 | 14.3% |
| #2 | New York | | 598 | 13.2% |
| #3 | Florida | | 176 | 3.9% |
| #4 | Texas | | 155 | 3.4% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 99 | 2.2% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 91 | 2.0% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 91 | 2.0% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 73 | 1.6% |
648 of 4,525 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 27 reporting states.
Shani appears in 27 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shani? ▼
Where does Shani sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Shani most popular? ▼
Where is Shani most popular? ▼
How long has the name Shani been used? ▼
What names are similar to Shani? ▼
What to do with Shani's data
- Shani's decade-level peak was the 1970s (1,429 total births); usage has since declined to 89 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Shanis (648 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 Shani
Nearby Names Like Shani
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shani
Compare Shani side by side: Shani vs Sharon Shani vs Shannon Shani vs Shawna
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Shani
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Shani: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1969)
Similar record span (~63 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, 1962–2025 (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 Shani 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.