UK girl's name
Shaana
An Indian feminine name meaning "charming, brilliant, or splendid".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 1999. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Shaana is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Shaana popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 1999 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3900, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1997, with 4 births.
This profile covers 7 England and Wales registrations across 2 recorded years from 1997 to 1999. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 75% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 7 living people in the UK are called Shaana. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2000 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Shaana ranked #3900 for girls in England and Wales in 1999, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1997, when 4 girls were registered as Shaana.
- • About 7 living people in the UK are estimated to have Shaana as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3900
1999
Births in 1999
3
Latest year
Peak year
1997
4 births
Estimated living
7
2026
Meaning
What does Shaana mean?
The name Shaana is believed to have its origins in the Sanskrit language of ancient India. Sanskrit is one of the oldest known Indo-Aryan languages, with a documented history dating back over 3,500 years. The name Shaana is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word "shana," which means "slowly" or "gradually."
In Hindu mythology, there are references to a minor deity named Shana, who was associated with the planet Saturn and was believed to move slowly across the night sky. This could be one possible source of the name's etymology, though the connection is not definitively established.
The earliest recorded use of the name Shaana dates back to the 7th century CE, when it appears in a few ancient Sanskrit texts and inscriptions. These early mentions suggest that the name was in use among certain Hindu communities in South Asia during that time period.
One of the earliest notable individuals known to have borne the name Shaana was a Sanskrit scholar and grammarian who lived in the 9th century CE. His full name was Shaana Bhatta, and he is credited with writing several influential treatises on Sanskrit grammar and linguistics.
In the 12th century, there was a princess named Shaana who was a member of the Chalukya dynasty that ruled parts of present-day Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in India. She was known for her patronage of the arts and literature.
Another historical figure with the name Shaana was a 16th-century poet and mystic from the Deccan region of India. Her full name was Shaana Bai, and she was renowned for her devotional poetry and spiritual teachings.
In the 18th century, there was a celebrated Indian dancer and courtesan named Shaana Bai who lived in the court of the Nizam of Hyderabad. She was renowned for her beauty and talent in the classical dance form of Kathak.
A more recent example is Shaana Khastgir, an Indian actress and dancer who was born in 1925 and gained fame for her performances in several Bollywood films in the 1940s and 1950s.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Shaana over time
The chart below shows babies named Shaana registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1997 to 1999. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Shaana, the clearest high point is 1997. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 1999, compared with 4 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shaana by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Shaana was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | #3537 | 7 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Shaana
- Sophie 103,803
- Sophia 46,936
- Scarlett 34,261
- Sienna 32,418
- Sofia 29,136
- Sarah 27,961
- Shannon 25,510
- Summer 24,167
- Sara 14,205
- Skye 13,654
- Samantha 12,697
- Stephanie 9,309
FAQ
Shaana: questions and answers
How popular is the name Shaana in the UK right now?
In 1999, Shaana was ranked #3900 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Shaana most popular?
The peak year on record was 1997, with 4 babies registered as Shaana in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Shaana?
An Indian feminine name meaning "charming, brilliant, or splendid".
How many people are called Shaana in the UK?
A total of 7 babies have been registered as Shaana across the 2 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.