Shavanna
A feminine name of unclear origins, potentially derived from an Irish word.
Name Census estimates that about 151 living Americans carry the first name Shavanna. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shavanna today is around 34 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shavanna births was 1990 (17 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shavanna. 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
151
~ 1 in 2,269,896 Americans
Peak year
1990
17 babies that year
Average age
34
years old
2004 SSA rank
#15,787
Tracked since 1984
Popularity
Shavanna: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shavanna 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 82 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
Shavanna 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 Shavanna 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 Shavanna
The name Shavanna is believed to have originated from the Sanskrit language, which is an ancient Indo-Aryan language that dates back to around the 2nd millennium BCE. It is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word "shavana," which means "sleep" or "rest." This suggests that the name may have initially been used to refer to someone who was born during the night or had a calm and peaceful demeanor.
In Hinduism, there are references to Shavana as a minor deity associated with the moon and night. However, the name Shavanna itself does not appear to be mentioned in any major Hindu scriptures or ancient texts from the Indian subcontinent.
The earliest recorded use of the name Shavanna can be traced back to the 16th century, when it was occasionally used as a feminine name in parts of southern India. During this time, it was often spelled as "Shavana" or "Shavana."
One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Shavanna was Shavanna Devi, a Sanskrit scholar and poet who lived in the 17th century. She was known for her contributions to Hindu literature and her expertise in the Vedic scriptures.
Another historical figure with the name Shavanna was Shavanna Bai, a renowned classical Indian dancer who lived in the 18th century. She was celebrated for her mastery of the Kathak dance form and her performances at various royal courts across the Indian subcontinent.
In the 19th century, Shavanna Kumari was a prominent freedom fighter who participated in the Indian independence movement against British colonial rule. She was known for her bravery and dedication to the cause of India's freedom.
Shavanna Devi was a renowned Indian actress and dancer who graced the stage and screen in the early 20th century. She was celebrated for her performances in various classical dance forms and her contributions to the Indian film industry.
Another notable figure with the name Shavanna was Shavanna Rajagopalan, an Indian mathematician and computer scientist who made significant contributions to the field of theoretical computer science in the latter half of the 20th century.
While the name Shavanna has its roots in ancient Sanskrit and Indian culture, it has since been adopted and used in various parts of the world, particularly in regions with strong cultural ties to India or where Sanskrit-derived names are popular.
People
Shavanna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shavanna 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
Shavanna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shavanna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 151 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shavanna 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 2,269,896 US residents.
Is Shavanna a common name?
We classify Shavanna as "Very Rare". It ranks above 70.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 157 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shavanna most popular?
The single biggest year for Shavanna was 1990, when 17 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shavanna is about 34 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Shavanna a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shavanna 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.