Shanty
Of Indian origin, a diminutive form of Shanta meaning "peace" or "calm".
Name Census estimates that about 191 living Americans carry the first name Shanty. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shanty today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shanty births was 2015 (28 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shanty. 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
191
~ 1 in 1,794,525 Americans
Peak year
2015
28 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2018 SSA rank
#13,597
Tracked since 1978
Popularity
Shanty: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shanty from the 1970s through to the 2010s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 110 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shanty 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 Shanty during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Shantys live
Origin
Meaning and history of Shanty
The given name Shanty is believed to have originated from the Sanskrit word "shanti," which means peace, tranquility, or calmness. This name has its roots in ancient Indian culture and can be traced back to the Vedic period, around 1500-500 BCE.
Shanty was a popular name among Hindus and Buddhists, as it symbolized the pursuit of inner peace and serenity. The name is mentioned in several ancient Hindu texts, such as the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita, where it is often associated with spiritual enlightenment and the attainment of a higher state of consciousness.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Shanty can be found in the 6th century BCE, when it was borne by a renowned Buddhist monk and scholar named Shanty Deva. He is credited with writing several important treatises on Buddhist philosophy and is revered as one of the most influential figures in the early development of Buddhism.
In the medieval period, the name Shanty gained popularity across various regions of India and was adopted by several prominent individuals. One notable figure was Shanty Sundara, a 12th-century Hindu philosopher and poet from the Vijayanagara Empire, known for his works on ethics and metaphysics.
During the 16th century, the name Shanty was popularized by Shanty Devi, a Rajput princess and warrior who fought bravely against the Mughal Empire. Her courageous exploits and unwavering devotion to her people earned her a place in the annals of Indian history.
Another famous bearer of the name was Shanty Bhushan Ghosh, a 19th-century Bengali poet, and social reformer. He was a prominent figure in the Bengal Renaissance and played a significant role in shaping the cultural and literary landscape of Bengal during that period.
In more recent times, the name Shanty has been associated with several notable individuals, including Shanty Ghosh, an Indian classical dancer and choreographer who has made significant contributions to the preservation and promotion of traditional Indian dance forms.
While the name Shanty has its origins in ancient Indian culture, it has gained popularity across various cultures and regions due to its beautiful meaning and association with peace and tranquility.
People
Shanty + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shanty 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
Shanty: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shanty?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 191 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shanty 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 1,794,525 US residents.
Is Shanty a common name?
We classify Shanty as "Very Rare". It ranks above 73.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 193 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shanty most popular?
The single biggest year for Shanty was 2015, when 28 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shanty is about 17 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Shanty a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shanty 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.