Total births
4,831
Boys' name · since 1940
Shad
4,831 babies named Shad in U.S. Social Security records since 1940, with the highest year being 1971. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 4,831
- total births
- 1940–2025
- years on record
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 53%
- born in that decade
Shad sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 4,831 recorded since 1940.
Social Security Administration records show Shad recorded 4,831 times among boys since 1940, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, peaking in the 1970s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1940 to 2025.
- 4,831 total births
- 1940–2025 years on record
- 1970s peak decade
- 53% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
4,831 boys have been named Shad since 1940, peaking in the 1970s, last recorded in 2025.
- 4,831
- total births
- 1940–2025
- years on record
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 53%
- born in that decade
1970s
Peak decade
53% of everyone ever named Shad was born in this single decade.
1971
Single peak year
406 babies were named Shad in 1971 - its busiest year on record.
Shad's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Shad's SSA record in two at 1990 and the more recent half accounts for 23% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 77%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1940, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1971 peak of 406, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Shad at a glance
Last recorded 2025Peak year
1971
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1940
Shad popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1940–2025
- Peak year (1971)
- 406
- Annual births at peak, across 86 years of records
Shad by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Shad's strongest decade.
2,582 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 53% of all-time use.
Shad births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 5
1940s
5 births
- 1950s 21
1950s
21 births
- 1960s 388
1960s
388 births
- 1970s
1970s
2,582 births
- 1980s 726
1980s
726 births
- 1990s 538
1990s
538 births
- 2000s 338
2000s
338 births
- 2010s 182
2010s
182 births
- 2020s 51
2020s
51 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 2,582 births (53% of all-time use).
How Shad compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Shad's total volume
Shad vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Shad by state
Where Shad concentrates geographically, total births since 1940
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 405 | 8.4% |
| #2 | Utah | | 293 | 6.1% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 230 | 4.8% |
| #4 | Texas | | 178 | 3.7% |
| #5 | Washington | | 135 | 2.8% |
| #6 | Indiana | | 118 | 2.4% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 109 | 2.3% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 101 | 2.1% |
California share of Shad's total US births 8.4%
Even split
405 of 4,831 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 31 reporting states.
Shad appears in 31 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shad? ▼
Since 1940, Social Security records show 4,831 babies named Shad. The most recent recorded year was 2025. Its busiest year on record was 1971, with 406 births.
When was Shad most popular? ▼
Shad was most popular in the 1970s decade with 2,582 total births. The single peak year was 1971.
Where is Shad most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Shad are California (405 births), Utah (293 births), Ohio (230 births).
How long has the name Shad been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Shad since 1940 -- 86 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Shad? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Shawn, Shane, Shaun, Shannon, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Shad's data
- Shad's decade-level peak was the 1970s (2,582 total births); usage has since declined to 51 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Shads (405 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- 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 Shad
Nearby Names Like Shad
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shad
Shawn Boy
#637 306,542 births
Shane Boy
#601 192,583 births
Shaun Boy
#1567 70,481 births
Shannon Boy
#2597 52,379 births
Shayne Boy
#4006 10,741 births
Compare Shad side by side: Shad vs Shawn Shad vs Shane Shad vs Shaun
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1940–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Shad: Baby Name Since 1940 - 4,831 Births, Peak 1971." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/shad. 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 Shad 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 July 2026.