UK name, mostly girls
Shanay
A feminine variant of Shannon, a name of Irish origin meaning "old river".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2018. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Shanay is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Shanay popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2018 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5666, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2006, with 29 births.
This profile covers 289 England and Wales registrations across 21 recorded years from 1996 to 2018. 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 10% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 287 living people in the UK are called Shanay. 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 2019 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Shanay ranked #5666 for girls in England and Wales in 2018, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2006, when 29 girls were registered as Shanay.
- • About 287 living people in the UK are estimated to have Shanay as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 97.0% of Shanay registrations are for girls.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5666
2018
Births in 2018
3
Latest year
Peak year
2006
29 births
Estimated living
287
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Shanay
In England and Wales birth records, Shanay has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 3.0% of registrations are for boys and 97.0% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Shanay registered for boys
- Ranked #4,991 in 2023
- 3 boys registered in 2023
- Peak: 2011 (3 births)
Shanay registered for girls
- Ranked #5,666 in 2018
- 3 girls registered in 2018
- Peak: 2006 (29 births)
Meaning
What does Shanay mean?
The name Shanay is believed to have originated from the Sanskrit language, which is an ancient Indo-Aryan language that dates back to around the 2nd millennium BCE. It is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word "shana," which means "gradually" or "slowly." The name was likely first used in the Indian subcontinent, where Sanskrit has had a significant influence on language and culture.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shanay can be found in the ancient Hindu scriptures, the Vedas. In the Rigveda, which is one of the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism, there is a reference to a person named Shanay who was a skilled archer and warrior. This suggests that the name has been in use for thousands of years and may have held significance in Hindu mythology or folklore.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Shanay. One of the most famous was Shanay Tulsidas, a 16th-century Indian poet and philosopher who wrote extensively on Hindu spirituality and was renowned for his works, including the Ramcharitmanas, a retelling of the Hindu epic Ramayana. He was born in 1532 and passed away in 1623.
Another prominent figure with the name Shanay was Shanay Singh, a 17th-century Rajput ruler who governed the princely state of Marwar (now part of Rajasthan, India) from 1661 to 1679. He was known for his military prowess and his efforts to expand and fortify his kingdom.
In the 19th century, Shanay Lall was a prominent Indian lawyer and jurist who served as a judge in the Calcutta High Court. He was born in 1827 and made significant contributions to the development of Indian legal system during the British Raj.
More recently, Shanay Mukherji was an Indian actress and dancer who appeared in several Bollywood films in the 1960s and 1970s. She was born in 1944 and is remembered for her performances in movies such as "Amar Prem" and "Anand."
Another notable individual with the name Shanay was Shanay Raghunath, an Indian cricketer who played domestic cricket for Mumbai in the 1990s and early 2000s. He was a skilled batsman and had a successful career in Indian domestic cricket circuits.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Shanay over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Shanay in England and Wales, from 1996 to 2023. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Shanay, the clearest high point is 2006. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2018, compared with 29 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shanay by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Shanay 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #3334 | 61 | 7 |
| 2000s | #1355 | 186 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1892 | 42 | 4 |
Related
Names similar to Shanay
- 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
Shanay: questions and answers
How popular is the name Shanay in the UK right now?
In 2018, Shanay was ranked #5666 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Shanay most popular?
The peak year on record was 2006, with 29 babies registered as Shanay in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Shanay?
A feminine variant of Shannon, a name of Irish origin meaning "old river".
How many people are called Shanay in the UK?
A total of 289 babies have been registered as Shanay across the 21 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.