Declining since 1992.
Popularity of Shawnee since 1943
Babies named Shawnee per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1940s | 18 |
| 1950s | 243 |
| 1960s | 451 |
| 1970s | 712 |
| 1980s | 504 |
| 1990s | 1,427 |
| 2000s | 408 |
| 2010s | 117 |
| 2020s | 29 |
Meaning & origin
Shawnee first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1943, but it never entered the top 1000 nationally. The name reached its peak year in 1992, when it saw its highest recorded usage. Since 1992, its trajectory has been steadily falling, and it has become extremely rare today. Shawnee is one of many Native American tribal names adopted as given names, following a trend of place names and culturally evocative names from the 1970s through the 1990s. Though it has never been common, its peak in 1992 reflects a moment when names like Cheyenne and Dakota were also popular. The name is primarily given to girls, though it is occasionally used for boys.
Shawnee derives from the name of the Shawnee people, an Algonquian-speaking Native American tribe originally from the Ohio River Valley. The name was adopted into English as a toponym for places in the United States, such as Shawnee, Kansas, and subsequently used as a given name, particularly for girls, beginning in the mid-20th century.
Nicknames & variants
Sibling names for Shawnee
Names that share Shawnee's style, for a brother or sister.
