Girls' name · since 1943
Shona
Shona has 2,414 recorded births since 1943 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1970 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #4,142 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 2,414
- born since 1943
- 1970s
- peak decade
Shona is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 2,414 have been recorded since 1943.
Social Security Administration records show Shona recorded 2,414 times among girls since 1943, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used girls names, 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 1943 to 2024.
- #4,142 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 2,414 born since 1943
- 1970s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shona ranks #4,142 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 2,414 born since 1943, peaking in the 1970s.
- #4,142 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 2,414
- born since 1943
- 1970s
- peak decade
Shona's 2,414 recorded births place it above 94.27% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
20 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
Shona's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Shona's full recorded timeline at 1983, 23% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 77% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1943, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1970 peak of 160 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Shona popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1943–2024
- Peak year (1970)
- 160
- Annual births at peak, across 82 years of records
Shona by decade
1970s is the heaviest window (958 births, 40% of the file).
1970s was Shona's strongest decade.
958 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 40% of all-time use.
Shona births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 13
1940s
13 births
- 1950s 104
1950s
104 births
- 1960s
1960s
602 births
- 1970s
1970s
958 births
- 1980s
1980s
409 births
- 1990s 174
1990s
174 births
- 2000s 106
2000s
106 births
- 2010s 37
2010s
37 births
- 2020s 11
2020s
11 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 958 births (40% of all-time use).
How Shona 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 Shona's total volume
Shona by state
Where Shona concentrates geographically, total births since 1943
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 173 | 7.2% |
| #2 | Texas | | 108 | 4.5% |
| #3 | New York | | 63 | 2.6% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 57 | 2.4% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 36 | 1.5% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 33 | 1.4% |
| #7 | Georgia | | 29 | 1.2% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 22 | 0.9% |
173 of 2,414 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 20 reporting states.
Shona appears in 20 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
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When was Shona most popular? ▼
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What to do with Shona's data
- Shona's decade-level peak was the 1970s (958 total births); usage has since declined to 11 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Shonas (173 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Shona
Nearby Names Like Shona
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shona
Compare Shona side by side: Shona vs Shonda Shona vs Shoshana Shona vs Shonna
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Shona: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1970)
Similar record span (~81 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, 1943–2024 (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 Shona 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.