# Who was the first Shaniqua?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-shaniqua/402660
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [May 3, 2007, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-shaniqua/402660 "2007-05-03T20:11:29Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2007, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-shaniqua/402660/1 "2007-05-03T20:11:29Z")
The origin of most Anglo forenames is lost to antiquity. Many are based on Biblical characters, but even then the origins are unknown.
The first name _Shaniqua_ didn’t become widespread until the [late 1980s](http://www.nameplayground.com/Shaniqua). Before that time, it was practically unknown. Distinctly African-American names are a fairly recent phenomenon, with its origins in the [1960s](http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=632575); before then, the names of African-Americans really didn’t vary much from modal Anglo names. It’s impossible to know who was the first person named David, Edward or Mary, but with a very recent vintage, it’s likely that the first woman named Shaniqua is alive and well. Who is she?
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### Author:  [@Operation\_Ripper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Operation_Ripper)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2007, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-shaniqua/402660/2 "2007-05-03T21:05:46Z")
I imagine when/if we are able to search all relevent birth records and/or census records online should be easy to track down. Until then…
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### Author:  [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2007, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-shaniqua/402660/3 "2007-05-03T21:51:32Z")
This may be true for the name “Shaniqua” in particular, but many other given names that in the US are considered “African-American” are actually standard Arabic names, whose origins are also ancient. E.g., “Jamal” and “Rashida”.
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### Author:  [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2007, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-shaniqua/402660/4 "2007-05-03T21:59:03Z")
[Social Security tracks the popularity of the top 1000 baby names](http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/), and Shaniqua cracked the top 1000 in 1989, rose to 313 in 1991, then dropped to 794th in 1994. After that, it appears it was out of the top 1000.
Of course that does not account for variations in spelling, like Shaneekwa, Shanikwa, Shaneequa, etc. Each variation is tabulated as a separate name.
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### Author:  [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2007, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-shaniqua/402660/5 "2007-05-03T22:07:20Z")
You know, it’s only a matter of time before this thread gets ugly.
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### Author:  [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2007, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-shaniqua/402660/6 "2007-05-03T22:10:50Z")
[QUOTE=KneadToKnow]
You know, it’s only a matter of time before this thread gets ugly.
[/QUOTE]
Why?
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### Author:  [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2007, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-shaniqua/402660/7 "2007-05-03T22:13:05Z")
[QUOTE=KneadToKnow]
You know, it’s only a matter of time before this thread gets ugly.
[/QUOTE]
Really, I don’t want this to be a “why do black people something something something?” or “unusual names” thread. The moment that happens, I hope a mod closes it.
Considering how a relatively common name rose out of thin air, I’m just curious as to whether the first person to have that name is known by someone, or that the person was mentioned in some article on children’s names.
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### Author:  [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2007, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-shaniqua/402660/8 "2007-05-03T22:23:36Z")
[QUOTE=elmwood]
The moment that happens, I hope a mod closes it.
[/QUOTE]
Glad to hear it. And I am sorry, I truly didn’t mean to threadcrap.
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### Author:  [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2007, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-shaniqua/402660/9 "2007-05-04T02:09:18Z")
Are you interested in Shaniqua in particular or recently created but popular names?
The whole “I want my baby’s name to be unique” thing has become fairly popular lately. And then for every parent like that there are some more with open ears for names to copy. As soon as a name reaches critical mass, it then falls in the hands of parents who want popular names and there you go.
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### Author:  [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2007, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-shaniqua/402660/10 "2007-05-04T04:01:58Z")
I nominate [Ellen Cleghorne](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellen_Cleghorne), originator of “Queen Shenequa” (sp?) on _SNL_ circa 1990.
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### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2007, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-shaniqua/402660/11 "2007-05-04T05:24:26Z")
According to the [Social Security Death Index](http://ssdi.rootsweb.com/), the earliest “Shaniqua” (who is now deceased, of course) I could find was born in 1975. “Sheniqua” is 1979. “Shanique,” 1972. “Shanequa,” 1979.
edit: Of course, that doesn’t answer you question about live Shaniquas, but should give you a ballbark idea of what time period to look for.
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### Author:  [@bbs2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbs2k)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2007, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-shaniqua/402660/12 "2007-05-04T05:35:51Z")
[QUOTE=Operation Ripper]
I imagine when/if we are able to search all relevent birth records and/or census records online should be easy to track down. Until then…
[/QUOTE]
But maybe she lost her wallet in the 70’s.
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### Author:  [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2007, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-shaniqua/402660/13 "2007-05-04T10:33:39Z")
[QUOTE=pulykamell]
According to the [Social Security Death Index](http://ssdi.rootsweb.com/), the earliest “Shaniqua” (who is now deceased, of course) I could find was born in 1975.
[/QUOTE]
Why is she dead _of course_?
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### Author:  [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2007, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-shaniqua/402660/14 "2007-05-04T10:55:39Z")
[QUOTE=bluethree]
[QUOTE=pulykamell]
According to the [Social Security Death Index](http://ssdi.rootsweb.com/), the earliest “Shaniqua” (who is now deceased, of course) I could find was born in 1975.
[/QUOTE]
Why is she dead _of course_?
[/QUOTE]
Because living people don’t appear in the _Death Index_. Here, have some coffee on me…
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### Author:  [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2007, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-shaniqua/402660/15 "2007-05-04T11:05:17Z")
I cacn find a women named _Shaniqua Rene Johnson_ as being the (adult, probably) daughter of a 47-year-old lady who’s obituary appeared in the _Port Arthur(TX) News_ in 1975. FWIW, the deceased mother was originally from Evergreen, LA. but had lived in Port Arthur for the last 29 years of her life.
I know this doesn’t help much.
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### Author:  [@carterba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carterba)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2007, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-shaniqua/402660/16 "2007-05-04T13:39:04Z")
[QUOTE=Sapo]
“I want my baby’s name to be unique”
[/QUOTE]
I went to school with a girl named Unique. Her parents must’ve started with that sentiment, then literalized it.
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### Author:  [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2007, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-shaniqua/402660/17 "2007-05-04T14:26:49Z")
[QUOTE=elmwood]
The origin of most Anglo forenames is lost to antiquity.
[/QUOTE]
I don’t think this is entirely true. The Anglo-Saxon roots of many English given names seem to be understood, for example –
Arnold - Arenvald
Edward - Eadweard
Robert - Hrodebert
Roger - Hrothgar
– and so on. And furthermore, the meanings of the roots or components of many of these names also seem to be known to scholars of Anglo-Saxon languages. “alf” means “elfin”; “helm” means “protection”; “gar” means “spear”; “beorht” means “bright”; “ric” means “ruler”; “stan” means “stone”; “wald” means “forest”; “wynn” means “friend”; “wulf” means “wolf”; “ead” means “wealthy”; “weard” means “protector” and so on.
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### Author:  [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2007, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-shaniqua/402660/18 "2007-05-04T16:40:47Z")
We may know the _meanings_ of most names, and their origins in other languages, for instance Arnold being a derivative of Arenvald, but when did “Arenvald” first start being used as a name? _That_ is lost to history.
Shaniqua isn’t a derivative of Sean, Shane, Cheryl, Charlotte or any other common Anglo name. It literally popped out of nowhere. All names had to have a person that was the first with it as a label. We don’t know who the first Arenvald, or some even earlier derivative of Arenvald, was.
[QUOTE=Sapo]
Are you interested in Shaniqua in particular or recently created but popular names?
[/QUOTE]
Really, recently created names that are popular.
FWIW, I’m only using “Shaniqua” because it seems like the most common example of a modern, recently coined name that has achieved widespread popularity. I’m at a loss for other commonly used new names; maybe “Sunshine” and “Harmony” among children born in the 1960s, or post-_Splash_ “Madison” as a girl’s name.
[QUOTE=samclem]
I cacn find a women named _Shaniqua Rene Johnson_ as being the (adult, probably) daughter of a 47-year-old lady who’s obituary appeared in the _Port Arthur(TX) News_ in 1975. FWIW, the deceased mother was originally from Evergreen, LA. but had lived in Port Arthur for the last 29 years of her life.
[/QUOTE]
Was that the first mention of the name in print media? We could be on to something.
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### Author:  [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2007, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-shaniqua/402660/19 "2007-05-04T18:39:30Z")
[QUOTE=elmwood]
Shaniqua isn’t a derivative of Sean, Shane, Cheryl, Charlotte or any other common Anglo name. It literally popped out of nowhere.
[/QUOTE]
I’m not sure I agree. Two data points:
1. Seán, the Irish form of John, is popular and has a wide number of derivatives. Spelling is often phonetic (Shawn, Shane), and there are feminine forms (Shawna).
2. It is not uncommon for a new name to be created by combining the parents’ names… I have a friend who was named this way, also African-American, and I’ve seen it in other cases too.
“Shaniqua” looks like a combination of Shan + Monica / Monique. I’m going to hypothesize that the first Shaniqua was the child of a Shawn and a Monique.
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### Author:  [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2007, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-shaniqua/402660/20 "2007-05-04T19:46:10Z")
[QUOTE=Dr. Drake]
“Shaniqua” looks like a combination of Shan + Monica / Monique. I’m going to hypothesize that the first Shaniqua was the child of a Shawn and a Monique.
[/QUOTE]
Mashups are common for [creating names in Utah](http://wesclark.com/ubn/), too.
Shaniqua may not be a direct derivative of Shawna - at least, we won’t know unless we know the parents of the first Shaniqua.
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