How Many People Are Named Shanen?
An estimated 166 people in the United States have the first name Shanen. It is used for both genders, with 73.2% female. The average bearer is 45 years old, and Shanen peaked in popularity in 1976 with 17 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Shanen as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Shanen paired with any surname.
Estimated Living Americans
166
About 1 in 2,064,785 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Very Rare
Predicted Gender
Female
73.2% confidence
Average Age
45
years old
Peak Year
1976
17 births
Total Registered
179
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Shanen
Shanen is a genuinely unisex name, used for both males (26.8%) and females (73.2%). Out of 179 total births registered, 48 were male and 131 were female.
Shanen as a male name
Ranked #13,685 in 2006
5 male births in 2006
Peak: 1975 (9 births)
Shanen as a female name
Ranked #11,558 in 1995
7 female births in 1995
Peak: 1976 (11 births)
Shanen in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 327 people with the first name Shanen, which placed it at #27,808 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Shanen was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 327 people with this name in that snapshot, 35.8% were male and 64.2% were female. That is less heavily female than the long-run SSA birth pattern on this page, which sits at 73.2% female.
Census Count
327
people with this name
Census Rank
#27,808
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
0.11
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Shanen was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (67.18%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (12.07%) and Asian and Pacific Islander (8.98%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Shanen in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Shanen.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| White | 67.18% | 217 |
| Black | 12.07% | 39 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 8.98% | 29 |
| Hispanic | 5.88% | 19 |
| Two or More Races | 5.88% | 19 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Shanen: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Shanen span from the 1960s to the 2000s, covering 5 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1970s, when 79 babies were registered. Shanen has declined significantly from its peak in the 1970s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Shanen by Decade
How has Shanen tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Shanen + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Shanen as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Shanen
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
Shanen: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shanen?
We estimate approximately 166 people named Shanen are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 2,064,785 Americans share this first name.
Is Shanen a common name?
Shanen is classified as "Very Rare" and is more popular than 71.7% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 179 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Shanen most popular?
Shanen reached peak popularity in 1976, when 17 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Shanen is approximately 45 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Shanen in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 327 people with the first name Shanen. That placed it at #27,808 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.11 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Shanen was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Shanen?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Shanen was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 35.8% male and 64.2% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Shanen?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Shanen was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (67.18%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (12.07%) and Asian and Pacific Islander (8.98%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Shanen a female name?
Shanen is predominantly female. 73.2% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Shanen have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Shanen peaked in 1976, and the average living bearer is about 45 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Shanen Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Shanen Smith, Shanen Johnson, Shanen Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
Search for a full name combination
How Many of Me