Shonica
A feminine name of potentially Caribbean or African origin, meaning uncertain.
Name Census estimates that about 66 living Americans carry the first name Shonica. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shonica today is around 46 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shonica births was 1980 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shonica. 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 Shonica. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
66
~ 1 in 5,193,248 Americans
Peak year
1980
8 babies that year
Average age
46
years old
1992 SSA rank
#13,132
Tracked since 1971
Popularity
Shonica: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shonica from the 1970s through to the 1990s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 41 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1970s peak, Shonica remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shonica 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 Shonica 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 Shonica
The name Shonica is a relatively modern invention that appears to have originated in the United States in the late 20th century. It does not have any clear linguistic roots or derivations from ancient languages or historical texts. The name is likely a creative combination of sounds and syllables chosen for their aesthetic or personal appeal.
Despite its recent origins, there are a few notable individuals who have borne the name Shonica throughout history. One of the earliest recorded instances is Shonica Landers, an American basketball player who played for the University of Texas in the late 1990s. Another early example is Shonica Garrison, a track and field athlete from the United States who competed in the early 2000s.
In the realm of literature, Shonica Reddick is an American author and poet who has published several works, including the poetry collection "Diaspora Blues" in 2011. Shonica Guy is an American actress and model who has appeared in various television shows and films since the early 2000s.
One of the more prominent figures with the name Shonica is Shonica Campbelle, a Jamaican sprinter who won multiple medals in international competitions, including a gold medal in the 4x400m relay at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics. She was born in 1991 and continues to compete at the highest level.
Although the name Shonica is relatively uncommon, it has been borne by individuals from various backgrounds and professions, reflecting the diverse and creative nature of modern naming practices. As a recently coined name, its historical significance lies in its ability to represent the evolving cultural landscape and the personal choices of parents in contemporary times.
People
Shonica + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shonica 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
Shonica: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shonica?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 66 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shonica 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 5,193,248 US residents.
Is Shonica a common name?
We classify Shonica as "Very Rare". It ranks above 58.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 72 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shonica most popular?
The single biggest year for Shonica was 1980, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shonica is about 46 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 Shonica in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Shonica a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shonica 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 Shonica still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Shonica 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 Shonica 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 many people are called Shonica?
Find out how many people have the name Shonica on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.