Total births
2,414
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.
- #13672
- among girls today
- 2,414
- born since 1943
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 23%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Shona is the #13672 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 2,414 recorded since 1943.
Social Security Administration records show Shona recorded 2,414 times among girls since 1943, holding rank #13672 nationally today, ahead of 23% 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 1943 to 2024.
- #13672 among girls today
- 2,414 born since 1943
- 1970s peak decade
- 23% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Shona is currently the #13672 girls' name in America, more common than 23% of girls - 2,414 born since 1943, peaking in the 1970s.
- #13672
- among girls today
- 2,414
- born since 1943
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 23%
- more common than other girls
Shona vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#13672
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 23% of names given to girls today.
1970s
Peak decade
40% of everyone ever named Shona was born in this single decade.
1970
Single peak year
160 babies were named Shona in 1970 - its busiest year on record.
How Shona compares
2,414 Top 20% higher than 80% 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
Shona's all-time total is 6x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Shona | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,414 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 160 | 48 | 19,840 |
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 at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1970
Current rank
#13,672
Active since
1943
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
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% |
California share of Shona's total US births 7.2%
Even split
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
How popular is the name Shona? ▼
Shona has been given to 2,414 babies in the U.S. since 1943, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #13672 as of the latest data. 160 babies were born in 1970, its single highest year.
When was Shona most popular? ▼
Shona was most popular in the 1970s decade with 958 total births. The single peak year was 1970.
Where is Shona most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Shona are California (173 births), Texas (108 births), New York (63 births).
How long has the name Shona been used? ▼
Shona has been recorded in Social Security data since 1943, spanning 82 years of data through 2024.
What names are similar to Shona? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Shonda, Shoshana, Shonna, Shonta, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
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
- 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 Shona
Nearby Names Like Shona
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shona
Shonda Girl
7,444 births
Shoshana Girl
#1783 5,682 births
Shonna Girl
3,089 births
Shonta Girl
1,604 births
Shondra Girl
1,228 births
Compare Shona side by side: Shona vs Shonda Shona vs Shoshana Shona vs Shonna
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Shona
Marney #13671
460 births · Peak 1969
Starlette #13673
727 births · Peak 1982
Tari #13670
2,274 births · Peak 1959
Toniann #13674
1,293 births · Peak 1995
Carlina #13669
1,184 births · Peak 2012
Kandy #13675
5,306 births · Peak 1965
Jeneen #13668
1,116 births · Peak 1972
Jamey #13676
3,053 births · Peak 1976
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, 1943–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Shona: #13672 Girls' Name - 2,414 Births, Peak 1970." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/shona. 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 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 June 2026.