Unisex name · since 1987
Shadow
Shadow has 613 recorded births since 1987 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1993 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #6,976 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #5,981 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 613
- born since 1987
- 1990s
- peak decade
Shadow currently ranks #5981 among unisex names in America, with 613 babies recorded since 1987.
Social Security Administration records show Shadow recorded 613 times among boys since 1987, holding rank #5981 nationally today, ahead of 57% of boys, peaking in the 1990s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1987 to 2025.
- #6,976 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #5,981 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 613 born since 1987
- 1990s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shadow ranks #6,976 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #5,981 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 613 born since 1987, peaking in the 1990s.
- #6,976 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #5,981 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 613
- born since 1987
- 1990s
- peak decade
Shadow's 613 recorded births place it above 84.65% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.
How Shadow compares
613 Top 40% higher than 60% of 13,930 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
Shadow's all-time total is 66% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Shadow | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 613 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 36 | 34 | 22,252 |
Shadow's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Shadow's SSA record in two at 2006 and the more recent half accounts for 42% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 58%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 2012, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1993 peak of 36, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Shadow popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1987–2025
- Peak year (1993)
- 36
- Annual births at peak, across 39 years of records
Shadow popularity over time - girls
491 total births recorded since 1974 (Shadow as girls' name)
Shadow by decade
1990s is the heaviest window (258 births, 42% of the file).
1990s was Shadow's strongest decade.
258 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 42% of all-time use.
Shadow births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 45
1980s
45 births
- 1990s
1990s
258 births
- 2000s 100
2000s
100 births
- 2010s
2010s
120 births
- 2020s 90
2020s
90 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 258 births (42% of all-time use).
How Shadow 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 Shadow's total volume
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shadow? ▼
Where does Shadow sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Shadow most popular? ▼
Is Shadow a unisex name? ▼
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What to do with Shadow's data
- Shadow's usage has stayed within range of its 1990s decade-level peak (258 total births) through the 2020s (90) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Shadow
Nearby Names Like Shadow
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shadow
Compare Shadow side by side: Shadow vs Shawn Shadow vs Shane Shadow vs Shaun
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Shadow
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Shadow: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1993)
Similar record span (~38 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1987–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Shadow 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 August 2026.