Given name & surname
Shana
“God is gracious”
Shana is used as a given name and a surname. One Hebrew interpretation is “God is gracious.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Hebrew interpretation is “God is gracious.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Hebrew.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1937. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Shana through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 29,748
- 113 boys · 29,635 girls
- Most popular year
- 1984
- 1,569 babies
- 2025
- 25
- #5,213 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −17%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 25 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 5,213 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 16.8% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 1,563 in 1984. In 2025, New Jersey and New York shared the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (6 each). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 26,205 as a first name in 2020; 119 as a surname in 2000.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Shana’s family of names
In English usage, Shana has a related form in SHANNA. Shana has a related form in Shayna. Shana has a related form in Shanice.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 17
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 8
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Shana
- Shanaze ReadeEnglish bicycle motocross rider and track cyclistborn 1988
- Shana AlexanderAmerican journalist (1925–2005)
- Shana CoxAmerican sprinter who competes internationally for Great Britain since 2011born 1985
- Shana FesteAmerican film director and screenwriterborn 1975
- Shana WilliamsAmerican athleteborn 1972
- Shana DaleNASA deputy administratorborn 1964
- Shana GreboFrench sprinterborn 2000
- Shana HiattAmerican model and television hostborn 1975
- Shana AbéU.S. American novelistborn 1950
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Shana, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Alona
“one who is as strong as an oak”
>99% girls
Shoshannah
“resembling a graceful white lily”
>99% girls
Janna
“God is gracious”
>99% girls
Ilana
“tree”
>99% girls
Susannah
“resembling a graceful white lily”
>99% girls
Shelah
“missionary” · “emissary”
>99% girls
Mirjana
Mirjana is a feminine given name from Hebrew. It is used in Serbo-Croatian.
>99% girls
Rani
“a lovely singer; a queenly woman”
14% boys · 86% girls