Shana
Girl name · #5120 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Shana? In official American birth records, Shana has been tracked continuously since 1937, giving it 88 years of documented American history.
In 2025, 25 baby girls were named Shana, placing it at #5120 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #3989, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 72,000 girls born in 2025 was named Shana.
Babies named Shana per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 88-year story
Shana first appears in the Social Security records in 1937, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1984, when 1,563 girls were named Shana — good for #174 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Shana against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Shana in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Shana is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Shana will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Shana is most common
State-level data for Shana is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Shana
Statistically, parents drawn to Shana tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Susana, Salina, Starla, Rana, and Janna.
SusanaSalinaStarlaRanaJannaCorinaMirnaKrista
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Shana | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 25 | #5099 |
| 2024 | 34 | #4207 |
| 2023 | 25 | #5126 |
| 2022 | 23 | #5465 |
| 2021 | 12 | #8464 |
| 2020 | 29 | #4548 |
| 2019 | 30 | #4546 |
| 2018 | 31 | #4458 |
| 2017 | 33 | #4304 |
| 2016 | 20 | #6186 |
| 2015 | 37 | #3989 |
| 2014 | 32 | #4455 |
| 2013 | 31 | #4543 |
| 2012 | 55 | #3040 |
| 2011 | 49 | #3303 |
| 2010 | 49 | #3306 |
| 2009 | 61 | #2852 |
| 2008 | 95 | #2122 |
| 2007 | 74 | #2509 |
| 2006 | 111 | #1833 |
| 2005 | 115 | #1719 |
| 2004 | 114 | #1698 |
| 2003 | 144 | #1386 |
| 2002 | 137 | #1404 |
| 2001 | 145 | #1322 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Shana?
In official American birth records, the name Shana first appeared in 1937 (over 88 years ago), when 5 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 88 years.
Is Shana a popular girl name?
Shana ranked #5120 among girls in 2025 with 25 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #3989.
When was the name Shana most popular?
Shana peaked in 1984, when 1,563 American girls received the name (ranked #174 that year). Since 1984 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Shana?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 72,000 newborn American girls was named Shana. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.