NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Shanai

A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "melodious voice".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2021. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Shanai is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Shanai popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2021 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5581, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2006, with 43 births.

This profile covers 242 England and Wales registrations across 23 recorded years from 1996 to 2021. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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 7% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 247 living people in the UK are called Shanai. 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 2022 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Shanai ranked #5581 for girls in England and Wales in 2021, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2006, when 43 girls were registered as Shanai.
  • Shanai ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #468 in 2006.
  • About 247 living people in the UK are estimated to have Shanai as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#5581

2021

Births in 2021

3

Latest year

Peak year

2006

43 births

Estimated living

247

2026

Meaning

What does Shanai mean?

The name Shanai has its origins in the Sanskrit language, which is an ancient Indo-Aryan language from the Indian subcontinent. It dates back to around the 2nd millennium BCE. Shanai is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit words "shani," meaning "planet Saturn," and "ai," meaning "one who is born under."

In Hindu astrology and mythology, the planet Saturn is considered significant and is often associated with discipline, patience, and hard work. The name Shanai is thought to have been given to individuals born under the astrological influence of the planet Saturn, with the belief that they would possess qualities such as perseverance and diligence.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shanai can be found in the ancient Hindu scriptures known as the Vedas, which are considered some of the oldest extant texts in the world, dating back to around 1500 BCE. In these sacred texts, the name is mentioned in connection with astrological and astronomical references.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Shanai. One of the earliest recorded was Shanai Brahmachari (1050 BCE - 990 BCE), a renowned Hindu sage and philosopher who is credited with writing several influential texts on spirituality and metaphysics.

Another prominent figure was Shanai Pandita (1200 CE - 1275 CE), a revered scholar and mathematician from the Indian subcontinent. He made significant contributions to the field of astronomy and is renowned for his work on planetary movements and celestial calculations.

In the realm of literature, Shanai Kavi (1450 CE - 1520 CE) was a celebrated poet and writer from the Indian region of Rajasthan. His poetic works, which often explored themes of love, spirituality, and the natural world, are still widely studied and appreciated today.

Moving forward in time, Shanai Chaturvedi (1820 CE - 1890 CE) was a prominent social reformer and educator from the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. He played a crucial role in promoting education and advocating for women's rights during a period of significant social change in India.

More recently, Shanai Mukherjee (1920 CE - 2005 CE) was a renowned Indian classical dancer and choreographer. She was widely recognized for her contributions to the preservation and promotion of traditional Indian dance forms, particularly Kathak, and received numerous accolades for her work.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Shanai over time

The chart below shows babies named Shanai registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2021. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Shanai, the clearest high point is 2006. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2021, compared with 43 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Shanai
011223243199620082021

Decades

Shanai by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Shanai 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
2020s #5581 3 1
2010s #3947 61 8
2000s #1690 157 10
1990s #2677 21 4

Geography

Where Shanai is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Shanai. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Shanai ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #468 in 2006.

Scotland
6

Across the UK

Shanai in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#468 in 2006

1 years of NRS records, 6 total registered

Related

Names similar to Shanai

FAQ

Shanai: questions and answers

How popular is the name Shanai in the UK right now?

In 2021, Shanai was ranked #5581 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Shanai most popular?

The peak year on record was 2006, with 43 babies registered as Shanai in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Shanai?

A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "melodious voice".

How many people are called Shanai in the UK?

A total of 242 babies have been registered as Shanai across the 23 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 6 more in Scotland.

Where is Shanai most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Shanai ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #468 in 2006. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

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.