Shadonna
A feminine name of unknown origin, possibly a variant of Shawna.
Name Census estimates that about 598 living Americans carry the first name Shadonna. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shadonna today is around 42 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shadonna births was 1980 (54 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shadonna. 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.
People living today
598
~ 1 in 573,168 Americans
Peak year
1980
54 babies that year
Average age
42
years old
2001 SSA rank
#17,480
Tracked since 1970
Popularity
Shadonna: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shadonna from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 339 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shadonna 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 Shadonna during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Shadonnas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. District of Columbia, Louisiana, Illinois recorded the most babies named Shadonna, while California, Illinois, Louisiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 10 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Shadonna
The name Shadonna is a relatively modern name that appears to be a combination of the names Sharon and Donna. It does not have a clear linguistic or cultural origin, and there are no historical references or ancient records mentioning this name.
The earliest recorded use of the name Shadonna seems to be from the late 20th century. One of the earliest known individuals with this name is Shadonna Brooks, an American singer and actress who was born in 1968. She is known for her work in musical theater and her roles in television shows like "The Parkers" and "The Steve Harvey Show."
Another notable person named Shadonna is Shadonna Jones, an American basketball player who was born in 1976. She played professionally in the WNBA and overseas leagues, and she is also known for her work as a basketball coach and analyst.
Shadonna Richards is an American singer and songwriter who was born in 1982. She is known for her work in the gospel music genre and has released several successful albums and singles.
Shadonna Jackson is an American politician who was born in 1971. She has served as a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives since 2012, representing the 63rd district.
Shadonna Bartley is an American actress and singer who was born in 1981. She is known for her roles in various stage productions, including the Broadway musical "The Color Purple," and for her work in television shows like "Empire" and "Chicago Med."
While the name Shadonna is not an ancient or traditional name with a long historical background, it has been in use for several decades and has been borne by a number of notable individuals in various fields, including music, sports, politics, and entertainment.
People
Shadonna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shadonna 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
Shadonna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shadonna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 598 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shadonna 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 573,168 US residents.
Is Shadonna a common name?
We classify Shadonna as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 638 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shadonna most popular?
The single biggest year for Shadonna was 1980, when 54 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shadonna is about 42 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Shadonna a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shadonna in the SSA data are female. 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.
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.