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Home › Baby Names Directory › Shantay

Shantay

♀ Girl

Pronounced shan-TAY /ʃænˈteɪ/Medium

Meaning: Shantay is a modern American coinage, a Sh-spelled cousin of Chantay and Chante, names that echo French chanter, 'to sing.' Though a later drag catchphrase made 'shantay' familiar, that usage postdates most of the name's run; Shantay is best read as a Chante/Chantay coinage.Low

In 30 seconds: Shantay is a coinage in the Chante/Chantay family, echoing French 'to sing' (said 'shan-TAY'). A sound-driven name peaking around 1987.
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Origin LowAmerican, French
MeaningShantay is a modern American coinage, a Sh-spelled cousin of Chantay and Chante, names that echo French chanter, 'to sing.' Though a later drag catchphrase made 'shantay' familiar, that usage postdates most of the name's run; Shantay is best read as a Chante/Chantay coinage.
U.S. rank (2011)#19132 ↗ Rising
2011 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1987
Total births (all-time)≈ 1,270

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 198719612011

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

Shantay is a modern American coinage, an Sh- respelling of Chantay and a relative of Chante, names that carry an echo of French chanter, 'to sing.' It belongs to the inventive naming of the 1980s and reached its high near 1987 — notably before the later 'shantay' catchphrase.

Shantay was always uncommon and eased off after the 1990s. Its roots are in the Chante/Chantay sound-family rather than in any single tradition; Chante and Chantel are its closest cousins.

Did you know? Shantay predates the drag catchphrase it later shared: the name was already peaking in the late 1980s, well before 'shantay, you stay' entered pop culture — so its real family is Chante and Chantay.
Overall data confidence 42%
References — Shantay — Chante/Chantay coinage (Fr 'sing'); RuPaul catchphrase postdates run (flagged)

Variations

ChantayShanteShantae

Nicknames

ShanTay

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Shantay…

Chantay— the Ch- spelling Shantay reworks
Chante— the shorter sister name of the family
Shante— a near-twin -e spelling
Chantel— a like Chan- name of the era

Explore names like Shantay

By themecoinagefrenchafrican-american

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Shantay mean?

Shantay is a coinage in the Chantay/Chante family, echoing the French chanter, 'to sing.'

How do you pronounce Shantay?

It's said shan-TAY /ʃænˈteɪ/ — two syllables, stress on the second.

Is Shantay a boy or girl name?

Shantay is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Shantay?

Shantay is uncommon. It was a coinage that peaked in the late eighties — before the later catchphrase — and has faded since.

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