Shanna
Shanna was the 12982nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 7 babies. Its best year was 1978, when it ranked 149th with 1,845 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 5,758 places. More babies were named Shanna in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Shana) Origin uncertain · Welsh, French, Hebrew
- Rank in 2025
- #12,982 girls, down 3,533 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 7girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19781,845 babies
- Total since 1880
- 28,372babies recorded
What does the name Shanna mean?
Shanna is a spelling of Shana, pronounced the same way, so it shares Shana's meaning and origin.
Shana has several possible sources. Wiktionary calls it an English form of the Welsh Siân (pet form Siana), the Welsh equivalent of Jane, or a version of French Jeanne; both go back to the Hebrew name meaning "God is gracious". American parents may also have formed it from Shane or Shawna. Shana was most popular in the US in the 1970s and 1980s.
Siân (Welsh, “Jane”)Jeanne (French, “Jane”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Several overlapping sources; Wiktionary's Siân/Jeanne explanation is the documented one.
Related names: Shawna, Shauna, Siân, Jane, Shane.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean God, names that mean grace.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Shana', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Joan', DMNES (Durham University)
Shanna popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 88 since 1972.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #12,982 | 7 |
| 2020 | #9,449 | 11 |
| 2010 | #3,684 | 43 |
| 2000 | #1,279 | 152 |
| 1990 | #430 | 589 |
| 1980 | #181 | 1,520 |
| 1970 | #344 | 759 |
| 1960 | #1,061 | 103 |
| 1950 | #1,650 | 33 |
| 1940 | #2,395 | 13 |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Shanna, counting every spelling?
Shanna is a spelling of Shana, a name family that had 32 girls in 2025 across its spellings. Together these spellings went to 32 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shana | 25 | #5,213 | 119 |
| Shanna | 7 | #12,982 | 47 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Shanna?
7 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Shanna (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Shanna born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 1,224 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Shanna.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Shanna?
About 26,800 people born in the US named Shanna are alive today, with a median age of 46; half are between 39 and 50. That makes Shanna mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Shanna: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Shanna, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Shanna
What does Shanna mean?
The origin of Shana is uncertain: several overlapping sources; Wiktionary's Siân/Jeanne explanation is the documented one.
How popular is the name Shanna?
Shanna was the 12982nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 7 babies. Its best year was 1978, when it ranked 149th with 1,845 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 5,758 places. More babies were named Shanna in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Is Shanna a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Shanna in the US.