Shenia
A feminine name of unknown origin, possibly derived from the name "Sheena".
Name Census estimates that about 331 living Americans carry the first name Shenia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shenia today is around 41 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shenia births was 1982 (21 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shenia. 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
331
~ 1 in 1,035,512 Americans
Peak year
1982
21 babies that year
Average age
41
years old
2014 SSA rank
#18,839
Tracked since 1956
Census
Shenia in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 372 people with the first name Shenia, which placed it at #25,491 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
#25,491
National first-name rank
People counted
372
372 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
60.2% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shenia
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Shenia is Black at 60.2%. The next largest groups are White (26.6%) and Hispanic (7.0%). 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 Shenia 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 Shenia at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American60.2% · 224
- White26.6% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino7.0% · 26
- Two or more races3.2% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.6% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 5
Popularity
Shenia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shenia from the 1950s through to the 2010s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 101 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shenia 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 Shenia 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 Shenia
The name Shenia is believed to have its origins in the Armenian language. It is a diminutive form of the name Sheniah, which is derived from the Armenian word "շեն" (shen), meaning "beautiful" or "graceful." This name is thought to have emerged during the medieval period in the region of historical Armenia, which encompassed parts of modern-day Turkey, Iran, and the Armenian Plateau.
While the name's ancient roots can be traced back to the Armenian culture, it is difficult to pinpoint the exact time period when Shenia first came into use. However, some historical references suggest that variations of the name were present in Armenian texts and records from as early as the 5th century AD.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Shenia was Shenia Aravian, a prominent Armenian philosopher and theologian who lived in the 7th century AD. Her work focused on the interpretation of religious texts and the promotion of Armenian cultural identity during a time of political upheaval in the region.
Another notable figure bearing the name was Shenia Khachatrian, a 13th-century Armenian poet and writer. Her poetic works, which often celebrated the beauty of nature and the Armenian landscape, were widely acclaimed and helped to preserve the Armenian literary tradition during a period of foreign domination.
In the 15th century, Shenia Vartanian was a renowned Armenian sculptor and architect. She was responsible for the design and construction of several notable churches and monasteries in the region, including the Monastery of Khor Virap, which is considered a masterpiece of Armenian architecture.
During the 19th century, Shenia Nalbandian was a prominent figure in the Armenian national liberation movement. As a writer and activist, she played a crucial role in raising awareness about the plight of Armenians under Ottoman rule and advocated for greater autonomy and self-determination for her people.
More recently, in the 20th century, Shenia Martirosyan was a celebrated Armenian painter and artist. Her vibrant and expressive works, which often depicted scenes from Armenian folklore and daily life, gained recognition both within Armenia and internationally.
While the name Shenia has its roots in the Armenian language and culture, it has also gained popularity in other parts of the world, particularly among Armenian diaspora communities. However, its ancient origins and historical significance remain firmly rooted in the rich cultural heritage of Armenia.
People
Shenia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shenia 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
Shenia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shenia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 331 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shenia 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 1,035,512 US residents.
Is Shenia a common name?
We classify Shenia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 80.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 360 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shenia most popular?
The single biggest year for Shenia was 1982, when 21 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shenia is about 41 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Shenia in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 372 people with the name Shenia, or 0.12 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #25,491 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 Shenia 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 Shenia?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Shenia appears almost entirely female. Of the 371 people counted with this name, 99.2% were female and only a very small share were male. 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 Shenia?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Shenia is Black at 60.2%. The next largest groups are White (26.6%) and Hispanic (7.0%). 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 Shenia most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Shenia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 60.2% (224 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 Shenia in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Shenia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shenia 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 Shenia still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Shenia 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 Shenia 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 are named Shenia?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.