Sharnel
A name of uncertain origin and meaning, possibly relating to a beloved person.
Name Census estimates that about 29 living Americans carry the first name Sharnel. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Sharnel today is around 45 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sharnel births was 1978 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sharnel. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Sharnel. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
29
~ 1 in 11,819,115 Americans
Peak year
1978
9 babies that year
Average age
45
years old
1991 SSA rank
#15,016
Tracked since 1974
Census
Sharnel in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 105 people with the first name Sharnel, which placed it at #52,717 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#52,717
National first-name rank
People counted
105
105 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.0
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
61.9% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sharnel
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Sharnel is Black at 61.9%. The next largest groups are White (20.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.7%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Sharnel described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Sharnel at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American61.9% · 65
- White20.0% · 21
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.7% · 7
- Two or more races6.7% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
Popularity
Sharnel: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sharnel from the 1970s through to the 1990s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 20 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sharnel 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 Sharnel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Sharnel
The name Sharnel is a unique and intriguing one, with a rich history that spans across various cultures and time periods. Its origins can be traced back to the ancient Sanskrit language, where it is believed to have derived from the word "sharnala," which means "golden" or "radiant."
In the early centuries, the name was predominantly found in the Indian subcontinent, particularly among the Hindu community. It was often associated with beauty, grace, and enlightenment, reflecting the spiritual and philosophical values that were deeply ingrained in the region's cultural heritage.
As trade and cultural exchanges flourished along the Silk Road, the name Sharnel gradually spread to other parts of the world. It found its way into the Persian language, where it was adapted and pronounced as "Sharneel," retaining its connotations of radiance and luminosity.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sharnel can be found in the ancient Hindu texts, the Vedas, which date back to around the 15th century BCE. These sacred scriptures mention a character named Sharnel, who was revered for her wisdom and devotion to the gods.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Sharnel. One such individual was Sharnel Devi (1504-1572), a renowned Indian poet and mystic who contributed significantly to the bhakti movement, a spiritual renaissance that swept across the subcontinent during the medieval period.
Another prominent figure was Sharnel Khan (1682-1748), a Persian military commander who served under the Mughal Empire. He was renowned for his bravery and strategic acumen, playing a crucial role in several military campaigns that shaped the region's history.
In the realm of literature, Sharnel Chandra (1837-1909) stands out as a celebrated Bengali writer and social reformer. Her works addressed various social issues, particularly the plight of women in 19th-century India, and she was a vocal advocate for women's education and empowerment.
Moving forward in time, Sharnel Thakur (1914-1999) was an Indian classical dancer and choreographer who helped revive and popularize the ancient dance form of Kathak. Her innovative contributions and dedication to preserving traditional art forms earned her numerous accolades and recognition.
Lastly, Sharnel Kaur (born 1985) is a contemporary Indian-American author and activist, known for her work in promoting diversity, intersectional feminism, and social justice. Her writings have garnered critical acclaim and have inspired many to embrace inclusivity and celebrate cultural differences.
These are just a few examples of the remarkable individuals who have carried the name Sharnel throughout history, each contributing to their respective fields and leaving an indelible mark on the cultural tapestry of the world.
People
Sharnel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sharnel 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
Sharnel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sharnel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 29 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sharnel 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 11,819,115 US residents.
Is Sharnel a common name?
We classify Sharnel as "Very Rare". It ranks above 46% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 31 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sharnel most popular?
The single biggest year for Sharnel was 1978, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sharnel is about 45 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Sharnel in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 105 people with the name Sharnel, or 0.03 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #52,717 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Sharnel in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Sharnel?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Sharnel leans strongly female. 91 people counted with this name were female (90.1%), compared with 10 male bearers (9.9%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Sharnel?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Sharnel is Black at 61.9%. The next largest groups are White (20.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.7%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Sharnel most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Sharnel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 61.9% (65 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Sharnel in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Sharnel a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sharnel 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 Sharnel still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Sharnel 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 Sharnel 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.
How many people share the name Sharnel?
You can see how many Americans are named Sharnel on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.