Shanterra is a unique and captivating name of African-American origin. It is composed of two elements: "Shan," which means "song" or "music," and "terra," meaning "earth." Thus, Shanterra signifies "song of the earth."
The name Shanterra was created by American author Toni Morrison in her 1987 novel "Beloved." In the story, the protagonist Sethe gives her baby girl this unusual name. The name's significance in the context of the novel is open to interpretation, but it could symbolize the character's connection to nature and her roots.
Shanterra has not traditionally been a popular given name. However, its unique sound and symbolic meaning have made it an appealing choice for parents seeking distinctive names with deep meanings for their daughters. As a result, Shanterra has appeared occasionally in baby name lists over the past few decades but remains relatively rare.
Based on the provided statistics, the name Shanterra has seen a consistent level of popularity over time in the United States. Between 1985 and 1994, there were a total of 36 babies named Shanterra born in the U.S. This shows that while it was not an extremely common name during this period, it did have some steady presence.
The years with the highest number of births for the name Shanterra were 1989 and 1990, with 6 and 7 babies respectively being given this name each year. This suggests a slight increase in popularity during these two years compared to others within the same period.
Overall, these statistics indicate that while not widespread, the name Shanterra was used consistently for newborns in the United States between 1985 and 1994, with a small peak in its usage during the late 1980s and early 1990s.