Find out how popular the last name Sheena is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Sheena.

Sheena, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Sheena surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sheena in America

Sheena is the 68345th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sheena surname appeared 288 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Sheena.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sheena to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Sheena

The surname Sheena is believed to have originated in India, where it was likely derived from the Sanskrit word "shyama," meaning "dark" or "black." The name was likely adopted during the medieval period by families or individuals with darker skin tones.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sheena can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century Persian manuscript commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar. The text mentions a military commander named Sheena Khan, who served under Akbar's reign.

In the 17th century, the name Sheena is also documented in the court records of the Maratha Empire in western India. A notable figure bearing this name was Sheena Raje Bhonsle, a prominent military leader and a member of the Bhonsle clan, who lived from 1630 to 1689.

As the British Empire expanded its influence in India, the name Sheena found its way into colonial records. One notable individual was Sheena Singh, a wealthy landowner from the Punjab region, who was involved in negotiations with the British East India Company in the early 19th century.

Outside of India, the name Sheena has been documented in various regions with historical ties to the subcontinent. In the 19th century, a man named Sheena Ali was recorded as a trader in the port city of Aden, which was then part of the British Empire's territories in Yemen.

Another noteworthy figure was Sheena Sarkar, a Bengali scholar and philosopher who lived from 1835 to 1904. Sarkar was renowned for his contributions to the study of Hindu scriptures and his interpretations of ancient Indian texts.

While the surname Sheena is primarily associated with South Asia, it has also been adopted by individuals and families in other parts of the world, likely through migration and cultural exchange. However, its origins can be traced back to the Indian subcontinent and the rich linguistic and historical traditions of the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sheena

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Sheena.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Sheena was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Sheena has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Sheena was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Sheena, please contact us.

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