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Home › Baby Names Directory › Shanitra

Shanitra

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Shanitra

Pronounced shuh-NEE-truh /ʃəˈniː.trə/Medium

Meaning: Shanitra is a coined given name, built from the popular Sha- opening (as in Shanice, Shania) with an -itra ending recalling Sherita and Demetria; it does not trace to a single fixed root but fits a well-documented late-twentieth-century American naming style.Low

In 30 seconds: Shanitra is a coined American girl's name blending a bright Sha- opening with an -itra ending. It stayed rare, peaking around 1991 (said shuh-NEE-truh).
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Origin LowAmerican
MeaningShanitra is a coined given name, built from the popular Sha- opening (as in Shanice, Shania) with an -itra ending recalling Sherita and Demetria; it does not trace to a single fixed root but fits a well-documented late-twentieth-century American naming style.
U.S. rank (1996)#13198 ↘ Falling
1996 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1991
Total births (all-time)≈ 273

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 199119741996

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Shanitra is a modern American coinage rather than a name with ancient roots, combining the Sha- prefix with a flowing -itra ending. It carries no single fixed literal meaning but sits clearly within a recognizable naming tradition.

It was never common, given to only about twenty girls a year at its peak around 1991, and it disappeared from wide records by the mid-1990s. A girl named Shanitra at its peak would be about thirty-five today.

Did you know? Shanitra belongs to a wave of late-1970s through 1990s American coinages that pair a Sha- opening, as in Shanice and Shania, with an ornate multi-syllable ending.
Overall data confidence 42%
SSA baby name data — peak count ~18, peak year 1991

Variations

ShanitaSheritaShanitria

Nicknames

ShaniNita

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Shanitra…

Shanice— shares the popular Sha- opening
Shania— another familiar Sha- coinage
Sherita— a like flowing -ita/-itra ending name
Demetria— shares the ornate multi-syllable rhythm

Explore names like Shanitra

By thememoderncoinageamericanuncommon

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Shanitra mean?

It is a coined American name joining the Sha- opening with an -itra ending; it has no fixed literal meaning.

How do you pronounce Shanitra?

It is said shuh-NEE-truh /ʃəˈniː.trə/, three syllables with the stress on the second.

Is Shanitra a boy or girl name?

Shanitra is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Shanitra?

It has always been a rare choice in the United States, given to only about twenty girls a year at its peak in the early 1990s.

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