Shalynn
A name of American origin meaning "from the shaly meadow".
Name Census estimates that about 1,442 living Americans carry the first name Shalynn. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shalynn today is around 28 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shalynn births was 1995 (65 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shalynn. 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
1.4K
~ 1 in 237,694 Americans
Peak year
1995
65 babies that year
Average age
28
years old
2022 SSA rank
#15,032
Tracked since 1969
Popularity
Shalynn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shalynn from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 482 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shalynn 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 Shalynn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Shalynns live
The SSA's state-level files cover 9 states and territories. California, Ohio, Pennsylvania recorded the most babies named Shalynn, while Wisconsin, Oregon, Oklahoma recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 20 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Shalynn
The name Shalynn is a relatively modern invention, likely originating in the late 20th century as a combination of the names Shalyn and Lynn. It does not have any clear linguistic or cultural roots in a specific language or region. The name is an example of the growing trend in recent decades of creating new, unique names by blending existing names or adding creative spellings.
While the name Shalynn itself does not have a long historical record, some of its potential root names do have an interesting background. The name Shalyn may be a variant of the Irish name Shailyn or Shaylyn, which is derived from the Gaelic word "sealadh" meaning "a hunt" or "to hunt." This could suggest connections to nature, outdoor activities, or even warrior culture.
The name Lynn, which makes up the latter part of Shalynn, has its origins in the Welsh name "Llyn," meaning "lake" or "pool." It was initially used as a surname in English-speaking regions but later became a popular given name, particularly for girls, in the 20th century. The name Lynn may have been inspired by the picturesque lakes and natural landscapes of Wales.
As a relatively new name, there are no recorded instances of the name Shalynn appearing in ancient texts, religious scriptures, or historical records from earlier eras. However, there are a few notable individuals who have borne this name in more recent times:
1. Shalynn Jacobs (born in 1987) is an American professional basketball player who played in the WNBA.
2. Shalynn Parks (born in 1992) is an American professional soccer player who has played for various teams in the National Women's Soccer League.
3. Shalynn Doty (born in 1994) is an American singer and songwriter who gained recognition through her appearances on the reality TV show "The Voice" in 2015.
4. Shalynn Simmons (born in 1982) is an American poet and author, known for her works exploring themes of identity, race, and social justice.
5. Shalynn Sampson (born in 1988) is a Canadian actress and model who has appeared in various television shows and films.
While the name Shalynn may not have a rich historical background, its modern popularity reflects the creativity and uniqueness that many parents seek when naming their children in contemporary times.
People
Shalynn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shalynn 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
Shalynn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shalynn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,442 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shalynn 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 237,694 US residents.
Is Shalynn a common name?
We classify Shalynn as "Rare". It ranks above 92.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,488 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shalynn most popular?
The single biggest year for Shalynn was 1995, when 65 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shalynn is about 28 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Shalynn a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shalynn 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.