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Home › Baby Names Directory › Shaunita

Shaunita

♀ Girl

Pronounced shaw-NEE-tuh /ʃɔːˈniː.tə/Medium

Meaning: Shaunita blends Shaun - the English spelling of the Irish Sean, from John, 'God is gracious' - with the Spanish diminutive '-ita,' giving a warm 'little Shaun.' It is a modern American coinage whose meaning traces through Shaun to John.Low

In 30 seconds: Shaunita is a rare coinage joining Shaun with the '-ita' ending. It appears in US records and peaked around 1979 (said shaw-NEE-tuh).
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Origin LowAmerican, Irish
MeaningShaunita blends Shaun - the English spelling of the Irish Sean, from John, 'God is gracious' - with the Spanish diminutive '-ita,' giving a warm 'little Shaun.' It is a modern American coinage whose meaning traces through Shaun to John.
U.S. rank (1993)#15407 ↘ Falling
1993 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1979
Total births (all-time)≈ 135

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 197919741993

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

Shaunita joins Shaun (from Sean and John, 'God is gracious') to the Spanish diminutive '-ita.' It is a coinage of the nineteen-seventies, pairing an Irish-rooted name with a Spanish flourish.

It was never common, given to only about fifteen girls a year even at its peak around 1979. A girl named Shaunita then would be reaching middle age today.

Did you know? The affectionate Spanish '-ita' ending was borrowed into many coined American names of the nineteen-seventies, softening a base name into something tender and personal, as in Shaunita.
Overall data confidence 32%
References - Shaunita — Coinage Shaun (Sean/John 'God is gracious') + '-ita'; 1970s cohort; traced honestly.

Variations

ShawnitaShaundaShaunnaSeanita

Nicknames

ShaunaNita

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Shaunita…

Shauna— a like feminine form of Shaun
Shawna— a similar Shaun-based name
Juanita— a like '-ita' name in sound
Shaunda— another Shaun- coinage of the era

Explore names like Shaunita

By themerarecoinageamericanseventies

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Shaunita mean?

It is a coinage joining Shaun (a form of Sean and John, 'God is gracious') with the Spanish diminutive '-ita.'

How do you pronounce Shaunita?

It is said shaw-NEE-tuh /ʃɔːˈniː.tə/ - three syllables, stress on the second.

Is Shaunita a boy or girl name?

Shaunita is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Shaunita?

It was always rare in the United States, given to only about fifteen girls a year even at its peak in the nineteen-seventies.

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