Sholonda
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly a blend of "Sho" and "Rhonda".
Name Census estimates that about 107 living Americans carry the first name Sholonda. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Sholonda today is around 50 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sholonda births was 1972 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sholonda. 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
107
~ 1 in 3,203,312 Americans
Peak year
1972
13 babies that year
Average age
50
years old
1987 SSA rank
#12,977
Tracked since 1969
Census
Sholonda in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 109 people with the first name Sholonda, which placed it at #52,143 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
#52,143
National first-name rank
People counted
109
109 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.0
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
96.3% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sholonda
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Sholonda is Black at 96.3%. The next largest groups are White (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Sholonda 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 Sholonda at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American96.3% · 105
- White1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Popularity
Sholonda: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sholonda from the 1960s through to the 1980s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 87 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
Sholonda 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 Sholonda 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 Sholonda
The name Sholonda is a uniquely American invention, originating in the late 20th century. It is believed to be a combination of the names Sholonda and Rhonda, potentially inspired by the popularity of similar-sounding names like Shalonda and Rholonda during that time period. There is no clear evidence of the name's usage prior to the 1960s or 1970s in the United States.
While the exact origin and etymology of Sholonda are uncertain, it is speculated that the name may have roots in African American culture. The blending of traditional names to create new, distinctive variations was a common practice within certain communities, reflecting a desire for uniqueness and cultural expression.
In terms of historical references or notable figures bearing the name Sholonda, records are scarce. However, a handful of individuals have gained recognition, albeit on a relatively small scale. One example is Sholonda Snipes, an American singer and songwriter known for her work in the gospel music genre. Born in the late 20th century, she has released several albums and has been recognized for her contributions to contemporary Christian music.
Another individual named Sholonda is Sholonda Jordan, an American basketball player who competed professionally in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) during the early 2000s. She played for various teams, including the Houston Comets and the Sacramento Monarchs, and was known for her defensive skills on the court.
Sholonda Holder is an American author and motivational speaker who has written books on personal growth and self-empowerment. Her works, published in the early 21st century, have gained a following among readers seeking inspiration and guidance for overcoming life's challenges.
Sholonda Gaines is an American educator and community leader who has been recognized for her efforts in promoting education and youth development. She has served in various leadership roles within educational organizations and has been honored with awards for her contributions to her local community.
Sholonda Taylor is an American entrepreneur and business owner who founded a successful event planning company in the late 20th century. Her company has been lauded for its innovative approach to event management and has organized numerous high-profile events across the country.
While the name Sholonda may not have a long and storied history, it has gained a modest presence in modern American society, with a handful of individuals bearing the name achieving recognition in various fields, from music and sports to literature and entrepreneurship.
People
Sholonda + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sholonda 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
Sholonda: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sholonda?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 107 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sholonda 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 3,203,312 US residents.
Is Sholonda a common name?
We classify Sholonda as "Very Rare". It ranks above 65.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 118 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sholonda most popular?
The single biggest year for Sholonda was 1972, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sholonda is about 50 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Sholonda in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 109 people with the name Sholonda, or 0.04 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #52,143 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 Sholonda 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 Sholonda?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Sholonda leans strongly female. 114 people counted with this name were female (98.3%), compared with 2 male bearers (1.7%). 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 Sholonda?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Sholonda is Black at 96.3%. The next largest groups are White (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Sholonda most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Sholonda in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.3% (105 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 Sholonda in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Sholonda a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sholonda 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 Sholonda still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Sholonda 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 Sholonda 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 called Sholonda?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.