Shereta
An elaborated feminine name of uncertain origin, potentially related to "serenity".
Name Census estimates that about 59 living Americans carry the first name Shereta. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shereta today is around 47 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shereta births was 1982 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shereta. 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 Shereta. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
59
~ 1 in 5,809,396 Americans
Peak year
1982
10 babies that year
Average age
47
years old
1986 SSA rank
#10,698
Tracked since 1970
Popularity
Shereta: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shereta from the 1970s through to the 1980s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 36 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shereta 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 Shereta 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 Shereta
The given name Shereta is believed to have originated from the Swahili language, spoken primarily in East Africa. Its roots can be traced back to the Bantu ethnic groups of the region, particularly the coastal areas of present-day Kenya and Tanzania. The name is thought to be derived from the Swahili word "sherati," which means "to obey" or "to comply with."
In ancient times, the Swahili people were known for their vibrant trading culture along the East African coast. They interacted with various civilizations, including Arabs, Persians, and Indians, which likely influenced the development of their language and naming conventions. However, there are no recorded instances of the name Shereta in historical texts or religious scriptures from that era.
The earliest documented examples of the name Shereta date back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when it was used by a few notable individuals in East Africa. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Shereta Mwita, a Tanzanian woman who lived in the late 1800s and played a significant role in preserving local cultural traditions.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals named Shereta. One such person was Shereta Munga, a Kenyan activist and advocate for women's rights, who lived from 1920 to 2005. She dedicated her life to empowering women and promoting gender equality in her community.
Another prominent figure was Shereta Akinyi, a Kenyan writer and poet born in 1935. Her works explored themes of identity, culture, and the resilience of the human spirit. She was celebrated for her poetic eloquence and her ability to capture the essence of her people's experiences.
In the realm of sports, Shereta Mwangi, a Kenyan long-distance runner born in 1975, achieved notable success. She won several international marathons and represented her country in major athletic competitions, earning recognition for her dedication and endurance.
Lastly, Shereta Kalunda, a Tanzanian entrepreneur born in 1980, made significant contributions to the business community. She founded a successful technology company and became a role model for young women aspiring to pursue careers in traditionally male-dominated fields.
While the name Shereta has its roots in the Swahili language and culture, its usage has spread globally, with individuals from diverse backgrounds embracing it as a unique and meaningful choice for their children.
People
Shereta + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shereta 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
Shereta: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shereta?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 59 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shereta 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 5,809,396 US residents.
Is Shereta a common name?
We classify Shereta as "Very Rare". It ranks above 56.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 64 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shereta most popular?
The single biggest year for Shereta was 1982, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shereta is about 47 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
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 Shereta in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Shereta a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shereta 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 Shereta still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Shereta 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 Shereta 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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Shereta?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.