Shanica
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly derived from "Shani" meaning "red" or "brilliant".
Name Census estimates that about 384 living Americans carry the first name Shanica. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shanica today is around 41 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shanica births was 1985 (30 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shanica. 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
384
~ 1 in 892,589 Americans
Peak year
1985
30 babies that year
Average age
41
years old
1997 SSA rank
#15,715
Tracked since 1973
Popularity
Shanica: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shanica 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 195 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1980s peak, Shanica remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shanica 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 Shanica during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Shanicas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. Georgia, Illinois, Maryland recorded the most babies named Shanica, while Maryland, Illinois, Georgia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 5 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Shanica
The name Shanica is a feminine given name of uncertain origin, with various theories about its roots and meaning. One possibility is that it derives from the Sanskrit word "shani," meaning "planet Saturn," which was considered an auspicious celestial body in ancient Hindu astrology. This connection to Hindu traditions and beliefs suggests that the name may have originated in the Indian subcontinent.
Another theory traces the name to the Arabic word "shani," which means "beautiful" or "lovely." If this is the case, the name could have originated in the Middle East or North Africa, where Arabic is widely spoken. Alternatively, some linguists believe that Shanica may be a variant or diminutive form of the name "Shana," which has roots in various languages, including Hebrew and Irish.
Historically, there are limited records of the name Shanica itself, but some individuals who may have borne this name or variations of it include Shani, a Hindu goddess associated with the planet Saturn, and Shani Wallis, a British novelist born in 1933 who wrote several romantic fiction novels. Additionally, Shanica Singh, an Indian actress known for her work in Bollywood films, was born in 1982.
Another notable figure with a similar name is Shawnee Smith, an American actress born in 1970, best known for her roles in the Saw film series and the television show Becker. While her name is spelled differently, the phonetic similarity to Shanica is worth mentioning.
It's also worth noting that in more recent times, the name Shanica has gained popularity, particularly in certain regions and cultures. However, due to the lack of comprehensive historical records, tracing its widespread use and any famous bearers throughout history beyond the few examples provided remains challenging.
People
Shanica + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shanica 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
Shanica: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shanica?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 384 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shanica 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 892,589 US residents.
Is Shanica a common name?
We classify Shanica as "Very Rare". It ranks above 81.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 409 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shanica most popular?
The single biggest year for Shanica was 1985, when 30 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shanica is about 41 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Shanica a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shanica 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.