Shanalee
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly derived from an Irish name.
Name Census estimates that about 29 living Americans carry the first name Shanalee. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shanalee today is around 42 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shanalee births was 1977 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shanalee. 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 Shanalee. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
29
~ 1 in 11,819,115 Americans
Peak year
1977
6 babies that year
Average age
42
years old
1995 SSA rank
#15,346
Tracked since 1975
Popularity
Shanalee: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shanalee from the 1970s through to the 1990s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 15 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1980s peak, Shanalee remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shanalee 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 Shanalee during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Shanalee
The name Shanalee has its origins rooted in the ancient Celtic culture of Ireland and Scotland, dating back to the 5th century AD. It is thought to be derived from the Old Irish Gaelic words "sian" meaning "old" and "li" meaning "beside," suggesting a possible connection to an old, well-established place or settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shanalee can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, where it is mentioned as the name of a small village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. This village, situated near the shores of Lough Neagh, was believed to have been a gathering place for local chieftains and bards during the Middle Ages.
In the 10th century, a notable figure named Shanalee mac Aodha is mentioned in the Lebor Gabála Érenn (The Book of Invasions), an ancient Irish literary work. Shanalee mac Aodha was a renowned warrior and chieftain of the Uí Néill clan, known for his bravery and leadership in battles against Viking invaders.
During the 12th century, a Scottish noblewoman named Shanalee of Argyll is recorded in the Orkneyinga Saga, a historical narrative detailing the events surrounding the Earls of Orkney. She was renowned for her intelligence and diplomatic skills, playing a crucial role in negotiating peace treaties between rival clans.
In the 16th century, a renowned Irish harpist and composer named Shanalee O'Donoghue gained fame for his mastery of the traditional Irish harp. His compositions were widely celebrated and preserved in the Bunting Collection, a valuable archive of Irish music compiled by Edward Bunting.
Another notable figure bearing the name Shanalee was a Scottish Highlander and clan chieftain, Shanalee MacGregor, who lived in the late 17th century. He was known for his unwavering loyalty to the Stuart monarchy during the Jacobite risings and his fierce defense of his clan's lands against encroachment by rival clans.
While the name Shanalee has its roots in ancient Celtic cultures, it has since been adopted and adapted in various forms across different regions and languages, carrying on the rich heritage and historical significance of its origins.
People
Shanalee + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shanalee 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
Shanalee: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shanalee?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 29 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shanalee 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 11,819,115 US residents.
Is Shanalee a common name?
We classify Shanalee as "Very Rare". It ranks above 46% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 31 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shanalee most popular?
The single biggest year for Shanalee was 1977, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shanalee is about 42 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Shanalee a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shanalee 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.