Shantae

Shantae is a feminine given name that emerged in the United States, possibly in the latter half of the 20th century. The name may be a variant of Shante or Shanté, which itself could be derived from the French word 'chanté' (meaning 'sung'). Alternatively, it might be a creative variant of Shanta, which has possible Sanskrit origins meaning 'peaceful' or 'tranquil.' The name gained some recognition through Shantae, a video game character introduced in 2002, though the name predates this cultural reference. According to U.S. naming records, Shantae saw modest usage beginning in the 1970s and 1980s, with peak popularity in the 1990s. The name exemplifies the trend of creative spellings and phonetic variations that characterized naming practices in the late 20th century United States.

Pronounced shan-TAY.

As of October 2026, Shantae ranked #17603 in US births in 2019 SSA, peaked at #1464 in 1986.