Shonique
A unique feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly African-American.
Name Census estimates that about 73 living Americans carry the first name Shonique. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shonique today is around 40 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shonique births was 1990 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shonique. 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 Shonique. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
73
~ 1 in 4,695,265 Americans
Peak year
1990
12 babies that year
Average age
40
years old
1995 SSA rank
#10,390
Tracked since 1971
Census
Shonique in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 103 people with the first name Shonique, which placed it at #53,018 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
#53,018
National first-name rank
People counted
103
103 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.0
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
97.1% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shonique
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Shonique is Black at 97.1%. The next largest groups are White (1.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Shonique 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 Shonique at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American97.1% · 100
- White1.0% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Popularity
Shonique: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shonique from the 1970s through to the 1990s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 45 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
Shonique 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 Shonique 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 Shonique
The name Shonique has its origins in the French language, with roots that can be traced back to the late 17th century. It is believed to have been derived from the French word "chérie," which means "beloved" or "darling." The name was likely first used as a term of endearment before becoming a given name in its own right.
In its early years, the name Shonique was primarily used in France and other French-speaking regions of Europe. It gained popularity among the upper classes and aristocracy, who often favored French names for their children. As the name spread, it underwent various spelling variations, including "Chonique," "Shonique," and "Shauniqu."
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Shonique can be found in the writings of the French philosopher and playwright, Voltaire. In his work "Candide," published in 1759, a character named Shonique is mentioned, though it is unclear whether this was a reference to a real person or a fictional character.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Shonique. One of the earliest was Shonique de Montpellier, a French noblewoman who lived in the 12th century. She was known for her philanthropic efforts and her patronage of the arts.
In the 19th century, Shonique Duval was a prominent French artist who gained recognition for her portraits and landscape paintings. She was born in 1823 and her works can still be found in several prestigious art galleries across Europe.
Another notable figure was Shonique LeBlanc, a French-Canadian author and poet who lived from 1878 to 1952. Her works often explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition, and she was widely acclaimed for her lyrical writing style.
In the realm of performing arts, Shonique Rousseau was a renowned French ballerina who graced the stages of the Paris Opera Ballet in the early 20th century. Born in 1895, she was celebrated for her grace, technique, and exceptional artistry.
Lastly, Shonique Mercier was a French resistance fighter during World War II. Born in 1920, she played a crucial role in the underground movement against the Nazi occupation, risking her life to aid Allied forces and shelter Jewish refugees. Her bravery and sacrifice have been recognized with numerous honors and awards.
While the name Shonique may have waned in popularity in recent decades, its rich history and cultural significance remain etched in the annals of time, serving as a testament to the enduring influence of French language and culture.
People
Shonique + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shonique 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
Shonique: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shonique?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 73 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shonique 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 4,695,265 US residents.
Is Shonique a common name?
We classify Shonique as "Very Rare". It ranks above 60% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 77 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shonique most popular?
The single biggest year for Shonique was 1990, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shonique is about 40 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Shonique in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 103 people with the name Shonique, or 0.03 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #53,018 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 Shonique 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 Shonique?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Shonique appears almost entirely female. Of the 105 people counted with this name, 99.0% 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 Shonique?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Shonique is Black at 97.1%. The next largest groups are White (1.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Shonique most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Shonique in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.1% (100 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 Shonique in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Shonique a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shonique 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 Shonique still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Shonique 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 Shonique 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 have the name Shonique?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.