Shabani
A masculine Arabic name meaning "young man" or "youth".
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Shabani. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Shabani today is around 2 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shabani births was 2024 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shabani. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Shabani. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
2024
6 babies that year
Average age
2
years old
2024 SSA rank
#12,083
Tracked since 2023
Popularity
Shabani: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Shabani by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Shabani during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 11 | 0 | 11 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Shabani
The name Shabani originates from the Swahili language, which is widely spoken in East Africa, particularly in countries like Tanzania, Kenya, and parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The name is believed to have its roots in the Arabic word "Shab," which means "youth" or "young person."
In the Swahili culture, the name Shabani carries connotations of youthfulness, vitality, and energy. It is often given to newborn boys as a way of expressing the hope and aspirations that the child will grow up to be strong, vibrant, and full of life.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shabani can be found in historical accounts from the 19th century, during the era of the Swahili city-states along the East African coast. These city-states were major trading hubs, and the name Shabani was likely popularized through the interactions between different cultures and communities that converged in these bustling centers of commerce.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Shabani. One prominent example is Shabani Nonda (born 1977), a former professional footballer from the Democratic Republic of Congo who played for various clubs in Europe, including AS Monaco and Galatasaray. Another notable figure is Shabani Nkulungu (born 1971), a Tanzanian politician who served as a member of the Tanzanian Parliament and held various ministerial positions.
In the realm of literature, Shabani appears as the protagonist in a collection of Swahili children's stories written by the renowned Tanzanian author Shaaban Robert. The stories, which aim to impart moral lessons and cultural values, have been widely read and enjoyed by generations of Swahili-speaking children.
Beyond East Africa, the name Shabani has also gained recognition in other parts of the world, particularly among communities with ties to the Swahili culture or those influenced by African naming traditions. One notable example is Shabani Bwalya (born 1961), a former professional footballer from Zambia who played for various clubs in Europe, including Aston Villa and KV Mechelen.
Another individual worth mentioning is Shabani Khanja (born 1961), a Kenyan-born British boxer who competed in the heavyweight division and won several titles, including the Commonwealth heavyweight championship in 1987.
People
Shabani + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shabani as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Shabani: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shabani?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shabani going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Shabani a common name?
We classify Shabani as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shabani most popular?
The single biggest year for Shabani was 2024, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shabani is about 2 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Shabani in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Shabani a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shabani in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Shabani still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Shabani in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Shabani can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Shabani as a first name?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.