Holding steady.
Popularity of Lashonta since 1971
Babies named Lashonta per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 79 |
| 1980s | 107 |
| 1990s | 46 |
| 2000s | 6 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Lashonta emerged in the early 1970s as part of a wave of invented names with the La- prefix popular in African-American communities. First recorded in 1971, its peak year was 1978, reflecting the trend's height during that decade. Since then, its use has declined significantly, with fewer than 5 annual births in recent years. By 2025, the name appears extremely rare, fitting the pattern of many such coinages that saw a brief spike and then faded. Despite its rarity today, Lashonta remains a distinct artifact of the naming style from the 1970s.
Lashonta is a modern coinage from the late 20th century, formed by adding the fashionable prefix La- to the name Shonta, itself a variant of Shaunta or Shanta. Shanta is derived from the Sanskrit word shānta, meaning 'peace' or 'calm,' but the combination Lashonta is a distinctively African-American invention with no direct semantic meaning. It first appeared on U.S. birth records in 1971 and saw moderate use through the 1970s.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Lash, Shawn, Tah
Sibling names for Lashonta
Names that share Lashonta's style, for a brother or sister.
