Shunta
A Japanese masculine name meaning "athlete" or "talented".
Name Census estimates that about 704 living Americans carry the first name Shunta. It is a predominantly female name (96.2% of registrations). The average person named Shunta today is around 45 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shunta births was 1979 (78 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shunta. 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
704
~ 1 in 486,867 Americans
Peak year
1979
78 babies that year
Average age
45
years old
1981 SSA rank
#7,127
Tracked since 1965
Gender
Gender distribution for Shunta
Shunta leans heavily female at 96.2% of total registrations, but 29 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Shunta as a male name
- Ranked #7,127 in 1981
- 5 male births in 1981
- Peak: 1979 (8 births)
Shunta as a female name
- Ranked #16,242 in 1998
- 5 female births in 1998
- Peak: 1979 (70 births)
Popularity
Shunta: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shunta from the 1960s through to the 1990s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 330 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
Shunta 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 Shunta during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Shuntas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. Texas, Tennessee, Georgia recorded the most babies named Shunta, while Virginia, Alabama, Illinois recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 26 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Shunta
The name Shunta is believed to have originated from the Sanskrit language, which is one of the oldest languages in the world, dating back to ancient India around the 2nd millennium BCE. The word "Shunta" is derived from the Sanskrit word "Shuntha," which means "dried ginger" or "pickled ginger." It is possible that the name was initially given to individuals who were associated with the cultivation, trade, or use of ginger in some way.
The earliest recorded mention of the name Shunta can be traced back to ancient Hindu scriptures and texts, such as the Vedas and the Puranas, which are considered sacred literature in Hinduism. However, the precise context and significance of the name in these texts are not entirely clear.
One of the earliest known historical figures with the name Shunta was a renowned Indian mathematician and astronomer who lived during the 5th century CE. His full name was Shunta Deva, and he made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics and astronomy, particularly in the areas of trigonometry and the calculation of planetary positions.
Another notable individual with the name Shunta was a Hindu saint and religious leader who lived in the 12th century CE. He was known as Shunta Nath, and he was a prominent figure in the Nath tradition, which is a spiritual movement that emphasizes the attainment of enlightenment through the practices of yoga and meditation.
In the 15th century, there was a Hindu ruler in the Vijayanagar Empire, located in present-day southern India, who bore the name Shunta Raya. He was a powerful king who ruled over a vast territory and is remembered for his patronage of the arts and literature.
During the 17th century, a renowned Indian poet named Shunta Kavi gained fame for his contributions to the literary tradition of Marathi poetry. He is celebrated for his beautiful and evocative verses, which often explored themes of love, nature, and spirituality.
In more recent times, one of the most notable individuals with the name Shunta was an Indian freedom fighter and social reformer named Shunta Behn, who lived from 1892 to 1981. She was a prominent figure in the Indian independence movement and worked tirelessly to promote women's education and empowerment.
While the name Shunta has its roots in ancient India and is deeply connected to the cultural and linguistic heritage of the region, it has also gained recognition and popularity in other parts of the world due to the significant contributions of individuals who have borne this name throughout history.
People
Shunta + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shunta 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
Shunta: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shunta?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 704 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shunta 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 486,867 US residents.
Is Shunta a common name?
We classify Shunta as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 761 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shunta most popular?
The single biggest year for Shunta was 1979, when 78 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shunta is about 45 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Shunta a female name?
Yes, 96.2% of people registered as Shunta 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.
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.