Shanai
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "melodious voice".
Name Census estimates that about 379 living Americans carry the first name Shanai. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shanai today is around 30 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shanai births was 1991 (27 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shanai. 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
379
~ 1 in 904,365 Americans
Peak year
1991
27 babies that year
Average age
30
years old
2018 SSA rank
#17,752
Tracked since 1974
Popularity
Shanai: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shanai from the 1970s through to the 2010s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 129 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shanai 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 Shanai during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Shanais live
Origin
Meaning and history of Shanai
The name Shanai has its origins in the Sanskrit language, which is an ancient Indo-Aryan language from the Indian subcontinent. It dates back to around the 2nd millennium BCE. Shanai is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit words "shani," meaning "planet Saturn," and "ai," meaning "one who is born under."
In Hindu astrology and mythology, the planet Saturn is considered significant and is often associated with discipline, patience, and hard work. The name Shanai is thought to have been given to individuals born under the astrological influence of the planet Saturn, with the belief that they would possess qualities such as perseverance and diligence.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shanai can be found in the ancient Hindu scriptures known as the Vedas, which are considered some of the oldest extant texts in the world, dating back to around 1500 BCE. In these sacred texts, the name is mentioned in connection with astrological and astronomical references.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Shanai. One of the earliest recorded was Shanai Brahmachari (1050 BCE - 990 BCE), a renowned Hindu sage and philosopher who is credited with writing several influential texts on spirituality and metaphysics.
Another prominent figure was Shanai Pandita (1200 CE - 1275 CE), a revered scholar and mathematician from the Indian subcontinent. He made significant contributions to the field of astronomy and is renowned for his work on planetary movements and celestial calculations.
In the realm of literature, Shanai Kavi (1450 CE - 1520 CE) was a celebrated poet and writer from the Indian region of Rajasthan. His poetic works, which often explored themes of love, spirituality, and the natural world, are still widely studied and appreciated today.
Moving forward in time, Shanai Chaturvedi (1820 CE - 1890 CE) was a prominent social reformer and educator from the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. He played a crucial role in promoting education and advocating for women's rights during a period of significant social change in India.
More recently, Shanai Mukherjee (1920 CE - 2005 CE) was a renowned Indian classical dancer and choreographer. She was widely recognized for her contributions to the preservation and promotion of traditional Indian dance forms, particularly Kathak, and received numerous accolades for her work.
People
Shanai + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shanai 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
Shanai: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shanai?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 379 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shanai 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 904,365 US residents.
Is Shanai a common name?
We classify Shanai as "Very Rare". It ranks above 81.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 392 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shanai most popular?
The single biggest year for Shanai was 1991, when 27 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shanai is about 30 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Shanai a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shanai 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.