Total births
45,531
Girls' name · since 1941
Shawna
Since 1941, U.S. Social Security records show 45,531 babies named Shawna, peaking in 1977. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #6004
- among girls today
- 45,531
- born since 1941
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 66%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Shawna is the #6004 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 45,531 recorded since 1941.
Social Security Administration records show Shawna recorded 45,531 times among girls since 1941, holding rank #6004 nationally today, ahead of 66% 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 1941 to 2025.
- #6004 among girls today
- 45,531 born since 1941
- 1970s peak decade
- 66% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Shawna is currently the #6004 girls' name in America, more common than 66% of girls - 45,531 born since 1941, peaking in the 1970s.
- #6004
- among girls today
- 45,531
- born since 1941
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 66%
- more common than other girls
Shawna vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#6004
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 66% of names given to girls today.
1970s
Peak decade
36% of everyone ever named Shawna was born in this single decade.
1977
Single peak year
2,082 babies were named Shawna in 1977 - its busiest year on record.
How Shawna compares
45,531 Top 4% higher than 96% 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
Shawna's all-time total is 119x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Shawna | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 45,531 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 2,082 | 48 | 19,840 |
Shawna's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Shawna's full recorded timeline at 1984, 37% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 63% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1941, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1977 peak of 2,082 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Shawna at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1977
Current rank
#6,004
Active since
1941
Shawna popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1941–2025
- Peak year (1977)
- 2,082
- Annual births at peak, across 85 years of records
Shawna popularity over time - boys
109 total births recorded since 1970 (Shawna as boys' name)
Shawna by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Shawna's strongest decade.
16,180 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 36% of all-time use.
Shawna births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 112
1940s
112 births
- 1950s 986
1950s
986 births
- 1960s 5,566
1960s
5,566 births
- 1970s
1970s
16,180 births
- 1980s
1980s
12,973 births
- 1990s
1990s
7,106 births
- 2000s 2,009
2000s
2,009 births
- 2010s 483
2010s
483 births
- 2020s 116
2020s
116 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 16,180 births (36% of all-time use).
How Shawna 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 Shawna's total volume
Shawna vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Shawna by state
Where Shawna concentrates geographically, total births since 1941
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 6,208 | 13.6% |
| #2 | Texas | | 2,790 | 6.1% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 2,591 | 5.7% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 1,959 | 4.3% |
| #5 | Washington | | 1,704 | 3.7% |
| #6 | New York | | 1,499 | 3.3% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 1,455 | 3.2% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 1,419 | 3.1% |
California share of Shawna's total US births 13.6%
Even split
6,208 of 45,531 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Shawna appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shawna? ▼
Shawna has been given to 45,531 babies in the U.S. since 1941, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #6004 as of the latest data. 2,082 babies were born in 1977, its single highest year.
When was Shawna most popular? ▼
Shawna was most popular in the 1970s decade with 16,180 total births. The single peak year was 1977.
Where is Shawna most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Shawna are California (6,208 births), Texas (2,790 births), Ohio (2,591 births).
How long has the name Shawna been used? ▼
Records for Shawna go back to 1941, giving 85 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Shawna? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Sharon, Shannon, Shari, Shawn, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Shawna's data
- Shawna's decade-level peak was the 1970s (16,180 total births); usage has since declined to 116 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Shawnas (6,208 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 Shawna
Nearby Names Like Shawna
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shawna
Sharon Girl
#1224 723,024 births
Shannon Girl
#1874 295,782 births
Shari Girl
#13636 40,927 births
Shawn Girl
#7307 33,055 births
Shayla Girl
#1803 30,933 births
Compare Shawna side by side: Shawna vs Sharon Shawna vs Shannon Shawna vs Shari
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Shawna
Estrellita #6003
1,159 births · Peak 2006
Valeri #6005
1,940 births · Peak 1964
Stefani #6002
7,033 births · Peak 1990
Spring #6006
3,528 births · Peak 1976
Dayna #6001
14,460 births · Peak 1988
Miryam #6007
904 births · Peak 1994
Sheridan #6000
5,604 births · Peak 2001
Franchesca #6008
4,394 births · Peak 1992
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, 1941–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Shawna: #6004 Girls' Name - 45,531 Births, Peak 1977." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/shawna. 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 Shawna 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.