Shaneeka
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly a combination of Shane and a diminutive affix.
Name Census estimates that about 407 living Americans carry the first name Shaneeka. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shaneeka today is around 41 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shaneeka births was 1990 (32 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shaneeka. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Shaneeka with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
407
~ 1 in 842,148 Americans
Peak year
1990
32 babies that year
Average age
41
years old
1995 SSA rank
#13,094
Tracked since 1973
Census
Shaneeka in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 352 people with the first name Shaneeka, which placed it at #26,438 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#26,438
National first-name rank
People counted
352
352 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
94.0% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shaneeka
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Shaneeka is Black at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Shaneeka described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Shaneeka at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American94.0% · 331
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 6
- Two or more races1.7% · 6
- White1.4% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 1
Popularity
Shaneeka: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shaneeka 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 236 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1980s peak, Shaneeka remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shaneeka 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 Shaneeka during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Shaneekas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania recorded the most babies named Shaneeka, while Pennsylvania, North Carolina, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 26 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Shaneeka
The name Shaneeka has its origins in the African-American culture, likely emerging in the latter half of the 20th century. It is a variant of the more common name Shanika, which is believed to be derived from the Swahili term "shani," meaning "marvelous" or "wonderful." This name gained popularity among African-American communities as a way to celebrate and embrace their cultural heritage.
While the name Shaneeka does not have a long recorded history, it reflects the rich tradition of creating unique and meaningful names within the African-American community. These names often carry deep symbolism, reflecting the hopes, aspirations, and resilience of a people who have endured and overcome significant adversities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shaneeka can be found in the 1970s, when it started appearing in birth records across various regions of the United States. However, it is important to note that the lack of extensive historical records does not diminish the significance and cultural relevance of this name.
Throughout the years, several notable individuals have borne the name Shaneeka. One such figure is Shaneeka Jacqueline Jarvis (born in 1981), an American actress and model known for her roles in television shows like "The Wire" and "Treme." Another prominent Shaneeka is Shaneeka Hewitt (born in 1982), a former professional basketball player who played in the WNBA for teams like the Seattle Storm and the New York Liberty.
Additionally, Shaneeka Jeannine Agum (born in 1985) is a Jamaican track and field athlete who specializes in the 400-meter hurdles and has represented Jamaica in multiple international competitions. Shaneeka Harlee (born in 1989) is a Canadian-American actress and writer known for her work in films like "The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete" and "Bessie."
Furthermore, Shaneeka Cherelle Myers (born in 1991) is an American professional basketball player who has played in the WNBA and overseas leagues. These individuals, among others, have carried the name Shaneeka with pride and have made their mark in various fields, contributing to the rich tapestry of African-American culture and identity.
People
Shaneeka + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shaneeka 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
Shaneeka: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shaneeka?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 407 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shaneeka 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 842,148 US residents.
Is Shaneeka a common name?
We classify Shaneeka as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 433 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shaneeka most popular?
The single biggest year for Shaneeka was 1990, when 32 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shaneeka is about 41 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Shaneeka in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 352 people with the name Shaneeka, or 0.12 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #26,438 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Shaneeka in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Shaneeka?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Shaneeka appears almost entirely female. Of the 348 people counted with this name, 100.0% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Shaneeka?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Shaneeka is Black at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Shaneeka most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Shaneeka in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.0% (331 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Shaneeka in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Shaneeka a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shaneeka 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.
Is Shaneeka still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Shaneeka in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Shaneeka can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
How many people have the name Shaneeka?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.