Shonnette
A feminine name derived from the French word "chante" meaning "to sing".
Name Census estimates that about 35 living Americans carry the first name Shonnette. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shonnette today is around 53 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shonnette births was 1970 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shonnette. 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 Shonnette. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
35
~ 1 in 9,792,981 Americans
Peak year
1970
9 babies that year
Average age
53
years old
1979 SSA rank
#8,870
Tracked since 1967
Popularity
Shonnette: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shonnette from the 1960s through to the 1970s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 28 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
Shonnette 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 Shonnette 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 Shonnette
The name Shonnette has its origins in the French language, and it can be traced back to the late Middle Ages, around the 14th or 15th century. It is likely derived from the French word "chon," which means "bundle" or "sheaf," and was potentially used as a nickname or surname for someone who worked with bundles or sheaves of grain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shonnette can be found in a medieval French text from the 15th century, where it was mentioned as the name of a peasant woman. However, the name did not gain widespread popularity until several centuries later.
In the 17th century, there are records of a French noblewoman named Shonnette de Montpellier, who was known for her involvement in various charitable endeavors. She lived from 1620 to 1698 and was highly regarded in her community for her philanthropic efforts.
Another notable figure with the name Shonnette was a French writer and poet, Shonnette Duval, who lived from 1782 to 1856. She was part of the Romantic literary movement in France and published several collections of poetry during her lifetime.
Moving into the 19th century, there was a French painter named Shonnette Lebrun, who was born in 1825 and died in 1892. She was known for her landscapes and portraits, and her works were exhibited in various galleries throughout France.
In the early 20th century, a French actress named Shonnette Guilbert gained prominence on the Parisian stage. She was born in 1876 and passed away in 1939, and was particularly celebrated for her performances in comedic roles.
While the name Shonnette has a rich history, it remains relatively uncommon, especially outside of France. Nevertheless, its French origins and unique sound have contributed to its enduring presence, albeit in a limited capacity, throughout various eras and cultural contexts.
People
Shonnette + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shonnette 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
Shonnette: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shonnette?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 35 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shonnette 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 9,792,981 US residents.
Is Shonnette a common name?
We classify Shonnette as "Very Rare". It ranks above 48.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 39 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shonnette most popular?
The single biggest year for Shonnette was 1970, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shonnette is about 53 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 Shonnette in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Shonnette a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shonnette 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 Shonnette still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Shonnette 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 Shonnette 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 have Shonnette as a first name?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.