Shaniece
An English alteration of the French feminine name Chantece meaning "simple, unaffected".
Name Census estimates that about 1,930 living Americans carry the first name Shaniece. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shaniece today is around 32 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shaniece births was 1992 (208 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shaniece. 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
1.9K
~ 1 in 177,593 Americans
Peak year
1992
208 babies that year
Average age
32
years old
2021 SSA rank
#13,265
Tracked since 1970
Popularity
Shaniece: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shaniece from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 1,032 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
Shaniece 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 Shaniece during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Shanieces live
The SSA's state-level files cover 19 states and territories. New York, California, Illinois recorded the most babies named Shaniece, while Missouri, Louisiana, Alabama recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 49 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Shaniece
The name Shaniece has its roots in the African American community, emerging in the latter half of the 20th century. It is a combination of the names Shani and Niece, both with distinct origins and meanings.
Shani is a Sanskrit word that means "having prosperity" or "Saturn," the planet associated with karma and discipline in Hindu astrology. This name has been used in various parts of South Asia for centuries, often referring to the deity or the day of the week associated with Saturn.
Niece, on the other hand, is a French word derived from the Latin "neptia," meaning "granddaughter" or "female descendant." It was initially used as a term of endearment or affection for a younger female relative.
The blending of these two names into Shaniece is a reflection of the cultural diversity and creativity within the African American community. It represents a unique combination of influences, merging elements from South Asian and European languages.
While there are no direct historical references to the name Shaniece in ancient texts or religious scriptures, its constituent parts have been present in various cultures for centuries. The earliest recorded instances of the name Shaniece date back to the late 1960s and early 1970s, as it gained popularity among African American families.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Shaniece was Shaniece Sturkey, an American singer and songwriter born in 1979. She gained recognition as a member of the R&B group Brownstone in the mid-1990s.
Another prominent figure with this name is Shaniece Hairston, an American professional basketball player born in 1988. She played in the WNBA for teams like the Chicago Sky and the Indiana Fever.
Shaniece Sims, born in 1992, is an American track and field athlete who specializes in the long jump and triple jump events. She has represented the United States in various international competitions.
Shaniece Boardingham, born in 1990, is a British singer and songwriter known for her work in the pop and R&B genres. She has released several successful singles and albums.
Shaniece Jarvis, born in 1991, is a Canadian actress and model who has appeared in various television shows and films, including "The Girlfriend Experience" and "Star Trek: Discovery."
People
Shaniece + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shaniece 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
Shaniece: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shaniece?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,930 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shaniece 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 177,593 US residents.
Is Shaniece a common name?
We classify Shaniece as "Rare". It ranks above 93.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,004 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shaniece most popular?
The single biggest year for Shaniece was 1992, when 208 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shaniece is about 32 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Shaniece a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shaniece 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.