Shalise
A feminine name of unknown origin, potentially derived from the French "soleil" meaning "sun".
Name Census estimates that about 389 living Americans carry the first name Shalise. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shalise today is around 38 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shalise births was 1988 (24 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shalise. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
389
~ 1 in 881,117 Americans
Peak year
1988
24 babies that year
Average age
38
years old
2009 SSA rank
#19,735
Tracked since 1968
Census
Shalise in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 353 people with the first name Shalise, which placed it at #26,378 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#26,378
National first-name rank
People counted
353
353 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
52.4% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shalise
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Shalise is Black at 52.4%. The next largest groups are White (30.9%) and Two or More Races (7.9%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Shalise described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Shalise at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American52.4% · 185
- White30.9% · 109
- Two or more races7.9% · 28
- Hispanic or Latino7.1% · 25
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.4% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 1
Popularity
Shalise: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shalise from the 1960s through to the 2000s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 137 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1980s peak, Shalise remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shalise by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Shalise during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Shalises live
Origin
Meaning and history of Shalise
The name Shalise is a unique and intriguing one, with a rich tapestry of history and meaning woven into its origins. While its precise roots are somewhat obscure, it is believed to have emerged from a blend of various cultural and linguistic influences.
One potential source traces Shalise back to the Old French word "chalise," which referred to a chalice or goblet used in religious ceremonies. This connection could suggest a spiritual or sacred undertone to the name, perhaps symbolizing purity or enlightenment. Alternatively, some scholars propose a derivation from the Latin "calyx," meaning a bud or protective sheath, which could imply a sense of growth, nurturing, or guardianship.
In ancient times, the name Shalise may have been associated with the mythological figure of Calypso, the nymph from Greek mythology who detained Odysseus on her island for seven years. This legendary connection could imbue the name with a sense of mystery, allure, and enchantment.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Shalise are found in medieval European records, with a few notable individuals bearing this moniker. One such figure was Shalise de Montfort (1204-1279), a noblewoman from France who played a pivotal role in the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars. Her defiant spirit and unwavering faith left an indelible mark on the historical annals of her time.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Shalise di Palermo (1315-1378), an Italian artist and illuminator renowned for her exquisite manuscript illustrations. Her intricate and vibrant works adorned the pages of religious texts and royal commissions, showcasing her exceptional talent and dedication to her craft.
In the realm of literature, Shalise Beaumont (1678-1720) was a celebrated English poet whose lyrical verses captured the hearts of readers across Europe. Her poignant explorations of love, nature, and the human condition earned her widespread acclaim and a place among the luminaries of her era.
Moving into more recent centuries, Shalise Delacroix (1845-1901) was a French explorer and adventurer who embarked on daring expeditions across Africa and the Middle East. Her fearless spirit and insatiable curiosity inspired generations of travelers and adventurers to follow in her footsteps.
Finally, Shalise Montague (1920-2002) was an American civil rights activist and advocate for women's rights. Her unwavering commitment to social justice and equality earned her widespread respect and admiration, leaving a lasting impact on the struggle for equal rights and opportunities.
These remarkable individuals, spanning various eras and disciplines, have all contributed to the rich tapestry of the name Shalise, imbuing it with a sense of strength, creativity, and a thirst for knowledge and exploration.
People
Shalise + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shalise as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Shalise: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shalise?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 389 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shalise going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 881,117 US residents.
Is Shalise a common name?
We classify Shalise as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 411 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shalise most popular?
The single biggest year for Shalise was 1988, when 24 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shalise is about 38 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Shalise in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 353 people with the name Shalise, or 0.12 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #26,378 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Shalise in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Shalise?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Shalise appears almost entirely female. Of the 350 people counted with this name, 100.0% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Shalise?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Shalise is Black at 52.4%. The next largest groups are White (30.9%) and Two or More Races (7.9%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Shalise most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Shalise in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.4% (185 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Shalise in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Shalise a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shalise in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Shalise still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Shalise in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Shalise can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many people share the name Shalise?
You can see how many people share the name Shalise on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.