Shanzay
A feminine name of Persian origin meaning "beautiful or nice lady".
Name Census estimates that about 244 living Americans carry the first name Shanzay. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shanzay today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shanzay births was 2015 (17 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shanzay. 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 Shanzay with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
244
~ 1 in 1,404,731 Americans
Peak year
2015
17 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,926
Tracked since 2000
Popularity
Shanzay: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shanzay from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 141 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Shanzay remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shanzay 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 Shanzay during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Shanzays live
Origin
Meaning and history of Shanzay
The name Shanzay has its origins in the Persian language and culture, tracing back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Persian word "shan," which means "nobility" or "grace," and "zay," which means "beautiful." Together, Shanzay can be interpreted as "beautiful nobility" or "graceful beauty."
In Persian literature, the name Shanzay is mentioned in several poetic works and manuscripts, often used to describe a woman of exceptional beauty and grace. One of the earliest recorded uses of the name can be found in the 13th-century poem "Shahnameh" by the celebrated Persian poet Ferdowsi.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Shanzay. One of the earliest recorded individuals was Shanzay Begum (1508-1572), a Mughal princess and the daughter of the renowned emperor Babur. She was known for her intelligence, literary talents, and patronage of the arts.
In the 17th century, Shanzay Khatun (1608-1668) was a prominent Persian poet and calligrapher. Her works were widely celebrated for their eloquence and artistic expression, earning her a place in the literary canon of the time.
Moving forward, Shanzay Fatima (1790-1862) was a influential Islamic scholar and poet from the Indian subcontinent. Her writings on Islamic teachings and spirituality gained widespread acclaim and influenced numerous scholars of her era.
In the modern era, Shanzay Murad (1922-2005) was a renowned Pakistani artist and painter. Her vibrant and expressive works captured the essence of Pakistani culture and tradition, earning her numerous accolades and awards during her lifetime.
Another notable figure was Shanzay Hussain (1942-2018), a Pakistani social activist and philanthropist. She dedicated her life to empowering women and improving access to education and healthcare in underprivileged communities, leaving a lasting impact on society.
The name Shanzay has a rich historical legacy, rooted in Persian culture and literature, and has been carried by influential figures across various fields throughout the centuries, reflecting its enduring beauty and grace.
People
Shanzay + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shanzay 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
Shanzay: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shanzay?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 244 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shanzay 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 1,404,731 US residents.
Is Shanzay a common name?
We classify Shanzay as "Very Rare". It ranks above 76.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 246 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shanzay most popular?
The single biggest year for Shanzay was 2015, when 17 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shanzay is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
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 Shanzay in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Shanzay a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shanzay 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 Shanzay still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Shanzay 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 Shanzay 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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Shanzay?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.