Shenita
A unique feminine name possibly derived from the English word "sheeny" meaning brightness or brilliance.
Name Census estimates that about 1,404 living Americans carry the first name Shenita. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shenita today is around 48 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shenita births was 1978 (85 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shenita. 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
1.4K
~ 1 in 244,127 Americans
Peak year
1978
85 babies that year
Average age
48
years old
2000 SSA rank
#17,210
Tracked since 1954
Popularity
Shenita: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shenita 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 603 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
Shenita 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 Shenita during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Shenitas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 14 states and territories. North Carolina, Georgia, Illinois recorded the most babies named Shenita, while Ohio, New York, Maryland recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 34 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Shenita
The given name Shenita is believed to have its origins in the Hebrew language. It is derived from the Hebrew name Shulamit, which means "peaceful" or "perfect." The earliest recorded use of the name Shenita dates back to the late 20th century, primarily in the United States.
While the name Shenita itself does not appear in ancient texts or religious scriptures, its root name Shulamit is mentioned in the Song of Songs, a book from the Hebrew Bible. In the text, Shulamit is portrayed as a beautiful and virtuous woman, symbolizing the love between God and His people.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Shenita was Shenita Ettienne, a Haitian-American writer and poet born in 1972. Her works often explored themes of identity, spirituality, and the African diaspora experience.
Another notable figure was Shenita Landry, an American basketball player who played in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) from 1998 to 2004. She was a part of the inaugural WNBA season and played for teams like the Utah Starzz and the Los Angeles Sparks.
In the realm of politics, Shenita Etwaroo was a Guyanese-American politician who served as a member of the New York State Assembly from 2015 to 2021, representing the 31st district. She was known for her advocacy on issues related to education and healthcare.
Shenita Berry is a contemporary American author and motivational speaker. Her book "Shenita's Journey: From Heartbreak to Wholeness" chronicles her personal struggles and journey towards self-discovery and healing.
Lastly, Shenita Jones is an American gospel singer and songwriter. She has released several albums since the early 2000s and has been nominated for various awards in the gospel music genre.
People
Shenita + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shenita 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
Shenita: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shenita?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,404 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shenita 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 244,127 US residents.
Is Shenita a common name?
We classify Shenita as "Rare". It ranks above 92.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,550 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shenita most popular?
The single biggest year for Shenita was 1978, when 85 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shenita is about 48 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Shenita a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shenita 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.