Shaleen
Meaning shadow or shade, derived from the Sanskrit word "chhaaya".
Name Census estimates that about 502 living Americans carry the first name Shaleen. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shaleen today is around 44 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shaleen births was 1986 (23 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shaleen. 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
502
~ 1 in 682,778 Americans
Peak year
1986
23 babies that year
Average age
44
years old
2007 SSA rank
#20,070
Tracked since 1945
Popularity
Shaleen: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shaleen from the 1940s through to the 2000s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 174 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
Shaleen 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 Shaleen during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Shaleens live
Origin
Meaning and history of Shaleen
Shaleen is a unisex name that has its origins in the Sanskrit language of ancient India. It is believed to have emerged around the 5th century BCE and is derived from the Sanskrit word "Shalina," which means "calm" or "peaceful."
The name Shaleen gained popularity in various parts of the Indian subcontinent, particularly in regions where Sanskrit and its derivatives were widely spoken. It was often associated with the Hindu faith and cultural traditions, although its usage was not limited to any particular religion or community.
In ancient Hindu scriptures, such as the Vedas and the Puranas, there are references to individuals with names similar to Shaleen, indicating its long-standing presence in the Indian cultural landscape. However, specific mentions of the name Shaleen itself are scarce in these ancient texts.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shaleen can be found in the historical records of the Gupta Empire, which ruled over large parts of the Indian subcontinent between the 4th and 6th centuries CE. During this period, the name was borne by several individuals, both men and women, from various social strata.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the name Shaleen. One of the most prominent was Shaleen Bhatia, an Indian actress and model who gained fame in the 1980s and 1990s for her roles in Bollywood films and television shows.
Another noteworthy individual was Shaleen Dixit, an Indian classical vocalist and Hindustani music exponent who lived during the 20th century. He was widely acclaimed for his contributions to the preservation and promotion of traditional Indian music.
In the field of literature, Shaleen Mukherjee was a renowned Indian author and poet who wrote extensively in Bengali and English during the late 20th century. His works explored themes of identity, culture, and societal issues.
Shaleen Malhotra was an Indian entrepreneur and businesswoman who founded and led several successful companies in the technology and e-commerce sectors in the early 21st century.
Shaleen Rakesh was an Indian social activist and human rights advocate who dedicated her life to fighting for the rights of marginalized communities, particularly women and children. Her work spanned several decades, and she received numerous accolades for her contributions.
People
Shaleen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shaleen 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
Shaleen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shaleen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 502 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shaleen 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 682,778 US residents.
Is Shaleen a common name?
We classify Shaleen as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 547 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shaleen most popular?
The single biggest year for Shaleen was 1986, when 23 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shaleen is about 44 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Shaleen a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shaleen 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.