Total births
2,356
Girls' name · since 1952
Shena
Shena has 2,356 recorded births since 1952 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1984 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- 2,356
- total births
- 1952–2018
- years on record
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 48%
- born in that decade
Shena sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 2,356 recorded since 1952.
Shena has 2,356 recorded births among girls since 1952, 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 1952 to 2018.
- 2,356 total births
- 1952–2018 years on record
- 1980s peak decade
- 48% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
2,356 girls have been named Shena since 1952, peaking in the 1980s, last recorded in 2018.
- 2,356
- total births
- 1952–2018
- years on record
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 48%
- born in that decade
1980s
Peak decade
48% of everyone ever named Shena was born in this single decade.
1984
Single peak year
198 babies were named Shena in 1984 - its busiest year on record.
Shena's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Shena's full recorded timeline at 1980, 60% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 40% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1999, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1984 peak of 198 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Shena at a glance
Last recorded 2018Peak year
1984
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1952
Shena popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1952–2018
- Peak year (1984)
- 198
- Annual births at peak, across 67 years of records
Shena by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Shena's strongest decade.
1,139 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 48% of all-time use.
Shena births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 64
1950s
64 births
- 1960s 247
1960s
247 births
- 1970s
1970s
642 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,139 births
- 1990s 234
1990s
234 births
- 2000s 17
2000s
17 births
- 2010s 13
2010s
13 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 1,139 births (48% of all-time use).
How Shena 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 Shena's total volume
Shena vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Shena by state
Where Shena concentrates geographically, total births since 1952
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 97 | 4.1% |
| #2 | Florida | | 81 | 3.4% |
| #3 | New York | | 80 | 3.4% |
| #4 | Texas | | 79 | 3.4% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 58 | 2.5% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 57 | 2.4% |
| #7 | Georgia | | 43 | 1.8% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 41 | 1.7% |
California share of Shena's total US births 4.1%
Even split
97 of 2,356 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 25 reporting states.
Shena appears in 25 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shena? ▼
2,356 babies have been named Shena since 1952. It was last recorded in 2018. The peak year was 1984 with 198 births.
When was Shena most popular? ▼
Shena was most popular in the 1980s decade with 1,139 total births. The single peak year was 1984.
Where is Shena most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Shena are California (97 births), Florida (81 births), New York (80 births).
How long has the name Shena been used? ▼
Shena has been recorded in Social Security data since 1952, spanning 67 years of data through 2018.
What names are similar to Shena? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Sheila, Sherry, Shelby, Shelly, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Shena's data
- Shena's decade-level peak was the 1980s (1,139 total births); usage has since declined to 13 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Shenas (97 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 Shena
Nearby Names Like Shena
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shena
Sheila Girl
#2013 238,774 births
Sherry Girl
#6948 229,937 births
Shelby Girl
#658 148,830 births
Shelly Girl
#4580 84,420 births
Sherri Girl
#8493 83,667 births
Compare Shena side by side: Shena vs Sheila Shena vs Sherry Shena vs Shelby
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1952–2018 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Shena: Baby Name Since 1952 - 2,356 Births, Peak 1984." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/shena. 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 Shena 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.