Shawnda
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly a variant of Chanda.
Name Census estimates that about 2,304 living Americans carry the first name Shawnda. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shawnda today is around 48 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shawnda births was 1975 (154 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shawnda. 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
2.3K
~ 1 in 148,765 Americans
Peak year
1975
154 babies that year
Average age
48
years old
2008 SSA rank
#20,025
Tracked since 1957
Popularity
Shawnda: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shawnda from the 1950s through to the 2000s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 1,231 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
Shawnda 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 Shawnda during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Shawndas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 22 states and territories. Ohio, Texas, California recorded the most babies named Shawnda, while Washington, Virginia, South Carolina recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 45 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Shawnda
The name Shawnda is believed to have originated from the Irish Gaelic name Síomha, which means "silk" or "silky." It is a feminine variant of the masculine name Síomhón. The name likely emerged during the Middle Ages in Ireland, a time when the use of Gaelic names was widespread across the Emerald Isle.
In its early iterations, the name Shawnda was often spelled as Síomhadha or Síomhádha in Irish Gaelic. As the name made its way into English-speaking regions, it underwent various spelling adaptations, eventually evolving into the modern form of Shawnda.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shawnda can be traced back to the 16th century, when it appeared in historical records from County Galway, Ireland. During this time period, the name was primarily associated with families of Irish nobility and gentry.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Shawnda. One of the earliest was Shawnda Ní Cheallaigh, a 17th-century Irish noblewoman and landowner from County Clare. Another prominent figure was Shawnda O'Reilly, a celebrated Irish poet and bard who lived in the late 18th century.
In the 19th century, Shawnda Byrne, an Irish immigrant to the United States, gained recognition for her involvement in the women's suffrage movement and advocacy for workers' rights. During the same era, Shawnda MacNeill, a Scottish-born activist, played a pivotal role in the campaign for Irish independence from British rule.
One of the most famous bearers of the name Shawnda was Shawnda O'Connor, an Irish singer-songwriter and musician who rose to prominence in the late 20th century. Born in 1966, O'Connor achieved international acclaim for her powerful vocals and thought-provoking lyrics, earning numerous awards and accolades throughout her career.
While the name Shawnda has its roots in Irish culture, it has also gained popularity in other parts of the world, particularly in English-speaking countries. Its unique sound and historical significance have made it a distinctive choice for parents seeking a name with a rich heritage and cultural significance.
People
Shawnda + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shawnda 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
Shawnda: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shawnda?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,304 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shawnda 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 148,765 US residents.
Is Shawnda a common name?
We classify Shawnda as "Rare". It ranks above 94.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,538 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shawnda most popular?
The single biggest year for Shawnda was 1975, when 154 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shawnda is about 48 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Shawnda a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shawnda 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.