Total births
1,378
Girls' name · since 1945
Shannah
Since 1945, U.S. Social Security records show 1,378 babies named Shannah, peaking in 1978. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- 1,378
- total births
- 1945–2014
- years on record
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 28%
- born in that decade
Shannah sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 1,378 recorded since 1945.
Shannah has 1,378 recorded births among girls since 1945, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, 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 1945 to 2014.
- 1,378 total births
- 1945–2014 years on record
- 1980s peak decade
- 28% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
1,378 girls have been named Shannah since 1945, peaking in the 1980s, last recorded in 2014.
- 1,378
- total births
- 1945–2014
- years on record
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 28%
- born in that decade
1980s
Peak decade
28% of everyone ever named Shannah was born in this single decade.
1978
Single peak year
51 babies were named Shannah in 1978 - its busiest year on record.
Shannah's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Shannah splits its recorded history at 1986: 48% of all births land in the more recent half, 52% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1957 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1978 peak of 51 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Shannah at a glance
Last recorded 2014Peak year
1978
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1945
Shannah popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1945–2014
- Peak year (1978)
- 51
- Annual births at peak, across 70 years of records
Shannah by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Shannah's strongest decade.
382 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Shannah births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 6
1940s
6 births
- 1950s 10
1950s
10 births
- 1960s 106
1960s
106 births
- 1970s
1970s
346 births
- 1980s
1980s
382 births
- 1990s
1990s
341 births
- 2000s
2000s
162 births
- 2010s 25
2010s
25 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 382 births (28% of all-time use).
How Shannah 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 Shannah's total volume
Shannah vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Shannah by state
Where Shannah concentrates geographically, total births since 1945
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 36 | 2.6% |
| #2 | Texas | | 35 | 2.5% |
| #3 | Georgia | | 10 | 0.7% |
| #4 | New York | | 6 | 0.4% |
| #5 | Florida | | 5 | 0.4% |
| #6 | Massachusetts | | 5 | 0.4% |
California share of Shannah's total US births 2.6%
Even split
36 of 1,378 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 6 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shannah? ▼
Shannah has been given to 1,378 babies in the U.S. since 1945, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 2014. 51 babies were born in 1978, its single highest year.
When was Shannah most popular? ▼
Shannah was most popular in the 1980s decade with 382 total births. The single peak year was 1978.
Where is Shannah most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Shannah are California (36 births), Texas (35 births), Georgia (10 births).
How long has the name Shannah been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Shannah since 1945 -- 70 years through the most recent 2014 data.
What names are similar to Shannah? ▼
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 Shannah's data
- Shannah's decade-level peak was the 1980s (382 total births); usage has since declined to 25 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Shannahs (36 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Shannah
Nearby Names Like Shannah
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shannah
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 Shannah side by side: Shannah vs Sharon Shannah vs Shannon Shannah vs Shawna
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1945–2014 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Shannah: Baby Name Since 1945 - 1,378 Births, Peak 1978." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/shannah. 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 Shannah 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.