Unisex name · since 1968
Shawnell
Since 1968, U.S. Social Security records show 248 babies named Shawnell, peaking in 1978. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #17,682 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 248
- born since 1968
- 1970s
- peak decade
248 girls have been named Shawnell since 1968, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Shawnell has 248 recorded births among girls since 1968, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1970s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1968 to 1994.
- #17,682 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 248 born since 1968
- 1970s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shawnell ranks #17,682 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 248 born since 1968, peaking in the 1970s.
- #17,682 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 248
- born since 1968
- 1970s
- peak decade
Shawnell's 248 recorded births place it above 75.54% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.
Shawnell's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Shawnell splits its recorded history at 1980: 46% of all births land in the more recent half, 54% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1968 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1978 peak of 16 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Shawnell popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1968–1994
- Peak year (1978)
- 16
- Annual births at peak, across 27 years of records
Shawnell popularity over time - boys
21 total births recorded since 1970 (Shawnell as boys' name)
Shawnell by decade
1970s is the heaviest window (121 births, 49% of the file).
1970s was Shawnell's strongest decade.
121 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 49% of all-time use.
Shawnell births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 13
1960s
13 births
- 1970s
1970s
121 births
- 1980s
1980s
78 births
- 1990s 36
1990s
36 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 121 births (49% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shawnell? ▼
Where does Shawnell sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Shawnell most popular? ▼
Is Shawnell a unisex name? ▼
How long has the name Shawnell been used? ▼
What names are similar to Shawnell? ▼
What to do with Shawnell's data
- Shawnell's decade-level peak was the 1970s (121 total births); usage has since declined to 36 in the 1990s -- 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 Shawnell
Nearby Names Like Shawnell
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shawnell
Compare Shawnell side by side: Shawnell vs Sharon Shawnell vs Shannon Shawnell vs Shawna
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Shawnell: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1978)
Similar record span (~26 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, 1968–1994 (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 Shawnell 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.