Sharnay
A feminine name of uncertain origin, perhaps a blend of "Charna" and "Renee".
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the first name Sharnay. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Sharnay today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sharnay births was 1988 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sharnay. 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
124
~ 1 in 2,764,148 Americans
Peak year
1988
15 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
2006 SSA rank
#19,593
Tracked since 1980
Popularity
Sharnay: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sharnay from the 1980s through to the 2000s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 73 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
Sharnay 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 Sharnay during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Sharnays live
Origin
Meaning and history of Sharnay
The name Sharnay is believed to have originated in the late 20th century as a variant of the name Sharon, which itself is derived from the Hebrew word "sharan" meaning "plain" or "level ground." While the name Sharon has biblical roots and appears in the Old Testament as a region in ancient Israel, the variant form Sharnay does not seem to have any direct historical or cultural ties.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sharnay can be found in the United States, where it began gaining popularity in the 1970s and 1980s. It is speculated that the addition of the "nay" suffix was likely influenced by other popular names during that era, such as Tiffany or Brittany.
Due to its relatively modern origin, there are no known ancient texts, religious scriptures, or historical records that specifically mention the name Sharnay. However, it is worth noting that some individuals with this name may have been named after or inspired by the biblical region of Sharon.
While the name Sharnay is not particularly common, there are a few notable individuals who have borne this name throughout history. One example is Sharnay Lewis, an American actress and singer who was born in 1985 and is known for her roles in television shows like "The Parkers" and "Girlfriends."
Another individual with this name is Sharnay Semaun, a Dutch model and television personality born in 1981. She gained recognition for her appearances on various reality shows in the Netherlands.
In the world of sports, Sharnay Dewalt is an American professional basketball player born in 1994. She played college basketball for the University of Louisville before being drafted by the Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA.
Additionally, Sharnay Gales is a British singer and songwriter born in 1989, known for her work in the R&B and soul genres.
Lastly, Sharnay Mitchell is an Australian actress born in 1985, who has appeared in several television series and films, including "Neighbours" and "The Shannara Chronicles."
It is worth noting that due to the relatively modern nature of the name Sharnay, there may be limited historical records or notable figures associated with it, as it has only gained popularity in recent decades.
People
Sharnay + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sharnay 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
Sharnay: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sharnay?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 124 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sharnay 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 2,764,148 US residents.
Is Sharnay a common name?
We classify Sharnay as "Very Rare". It ranks above 67.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 129 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sharnay most popular?
The single biggest year for Sharnay was 1988, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sharnay is about 35 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Sharnay a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sharnay 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.