Total births
215
Boys' name · since 1982
Sem
Since 1982, U.S. Social Security records show 215 babies named Sem, peaking in 2006. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #10187
- among boys today
- 215
- born since 1982
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 29%
- more common than other boys
Sem currently ranks #10187 among boys' names in America, with 215 babies recorded since 1982.
Social Security Administration records show Sem recorded 215 times among boys since 1982, holding rank #10187 nationally today, ahead of 29% of boys, peaking in the 2000s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1982 to 2024.
- #10187 among boys today
- 215 born since 1982
- 2000s peak decade
- 29% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Sem is currently the #10187 boys' name in America, more common than 29% of boys - 215 born since 1982, peaking in the 2000s.
- #10187
- among boys today
- 215
- born since 1982
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 29%
- more common than other boys
Sem vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#10187
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 29% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
36% of everyone ever named Sem was born in this single decade.
2006
Single peak year
12 babies were named Sem in 2006 - its busiest year on record.
How Sem compares
215 39th percentile among 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Sem's all-time total is 41% below the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Sem | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 215 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 12 | 23 | 22,252 |
Sem's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Sem splits its recorded history at 2004: 56% of all births land in the more recent half, 44% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1988 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2006 peak of 12 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Sem at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2006
Current rank
#10,187
Active since
1982
Sem popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1982–2024
- Peak year (2006)
- 12
- Annual births at peak, across 43 years of records
Sem by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Sem's strongest decade.
78 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 36% of all-time use.
Sem births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 22
1980s
22 births
- 1990s
1990s
41 births
- 2000s
2000s
78 births
- 2010s
2010s
53 births
- 2020s 21
2020s
21 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 78 births (36% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Sem? ▼
Sem has been given to 215 babies in the U.S. since 1982, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #10187 as of the latest data. 12 babies were born in 2006, its single highest year.
When was Sem most popular? ▼
Sem was most popular in the 2000s decade with 78 total births. The single peak year was 2006.
How long has the name Sem been used? ▼
Records for Sem go back to 1982, giving 43 years of history through 2024.
What names are similar to Sem? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Semaj, Semir, Semisi, Semaje, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Sem's data
- Sem's decade-level peak was the 2000s (78 total births); usage has since declined to 21 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Sem
Nearby Names Like Sem
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Sem
Semaj Boy
#1064 7,421 births
Semir Boy
#7498 278 births
Semisi Boy
#8546 216 births
Semaje Boy
#8021 142 births
Semajay Boy
63 births
Compare Sem side by side: Sem vs Semaj Sem vs Semir Sem vs Semisi
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Sem
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1982–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Sem: #10187 Boys' Name - 215 Births, Peak 2006." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/sem. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Sem draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.