Total births
5,117
Girls' name · since 1971
Shaniqua
Shaniqua has 5,117 recorded births since 1971 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1991 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- 5,117
- total births
- 1971–2010
- years on record
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 69%
- born in that decade
Shaniqua is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 5,117 have been recorded since 1971.
Shaniqua has 5,117 recorded births among girls since 1971, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1990s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1971 to 2010.
- 5,117 total births
- 1971–2010 years on record
- 1990s peak decade
- 69% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
5,117 girls have been named Shaniqua since 1971, peaking in the 1990s, last recorded in 2010.
- 5,117
- total births
- 1971–2010
- years on record
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 69%
- born in that decade
1990s
Peak decade
69% of everyone ever named Shaniqua was born in this single decade.
1991
Single peak year
861 babies were named Shaniqua in 1991 - its busiest year on record.
Shaniqua's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Shaniqua's full recorded timeline at 1990, 71% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 29% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 2007, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1991 peak of 861 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Shaniqua at a glance
Last recorded 2010Peak year
1991
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1971
Shaniqua popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1971–2010
- Peak year (1991)
- 861
- Annual births at peak, across 40 years of records
Shaniqua by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Shaniqua's strongest decade.
3,525 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 69% of all-time use.
Shaniqua births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 326
1970s
326 births
- 1980s 1,133
1980s
1,133 births
- 1990s
1990s
3,525 births
- 2000s 125
2000s
125 births
- 2010s 8
2010s
8 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 3,525 births (69% of all-time use).
How Shaniqua 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 Shaniqua's total volume
Shaniqua vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Shaniqua by state
Where Shaniqua concentrates geographically, total births since 1971
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 983 | 19.2% |
| #2 | Texas | | 347 | 6.8% |
| #3 | North Carolina | | 296 | 5.8% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 275 | 5.4% |
| #5 | South Carolina | | 227 | 4.4% |
| #6 | Virginia | | 227 | 4.4% |
| #7 | Florida | | 218 | 4.3% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 200 | 3.9% |
New York share of Shaniqua's total US births 19.2%
Even split
983 of 5,117 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 31 reporting states.
Shaniqua appears in 31 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shaniqua? ▼
5,117 babies have been named Shaniqua since 1971. It was last recorded in 2010. The peak year was 1991 with 861 births.
When was Shaniqua most popular? ▼
Shaniqua was most popular in the 1990s decade with 3,525 total births. The single peak year was 1991.
Where is Shaniqua most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Shaniqua are New York (983 births), Texas (347 births), North Carolina (296 births).
How long has the name Shaniqua been used? ▼
Shaniqua has been recorded in Social Security data since 1971, spanning 40 years of data through 2010.
What names are similar to Shaniqua? ▼
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 Shaniqua's data
- Shaniqua's decade-level peak was the 1990s (3,525 total births); usage has since declined to 8 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Shaniquas (983 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 Shaniqua
Nearby Names Like Shaniqua
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shaniqua
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 Shaniqua side by side: Shaniqua vs Sharon Shaniqua vs Shannon Shaniqua vs Shawna
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Jordynn #2500
5,120 births · Peak 2010
Anastacia #2665
5,114 births · Peak 2003
Yamilet #2290
5,121 births · Peak 2008
Shanta
5,112 births · Peak 1978
Iman #2088
5,124 births · Peak 1996
Linsey #13693
5,125 births · Peak 1985
Winnifred #2750
5,127 births · Peak 1918
Nada #4393
5,129 births · Peak 2000
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1971–2010 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Shaniqua: Baby Name Since 1971 - 5,117 Births, Peak 1991." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/shaniqua. 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 Shaniqua 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 July 2026.