Total births
119
Boys' name · since 1898
Shafter
Shafter has 119 recorded births since 1898 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1898 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- 119
- total births
- 1898–1942
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 40%
- born in that decade
Shafter sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 119 recorded since 1898.
Social Security Administration records show Shafter recorded 119 times among boys since 1898, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1898 to 1942.
- 119 total births
- 1898–1942 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 40% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
119 boys have been named Shafter since 1898, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 1942.
- 119
- total births
- 1898–1942
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 40%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
40% of everyone ever named Shafter was born in this single decade.
1898
Single peak year
14 babies were named Shafter in 1898 - its busiest year on record.
Shafter's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Shafter's full recorded timeline at 1926, 47% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 53% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1902, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1898 peak of 14 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Shafter at a glance
Last recorded 1942Peak year
1898
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1898
Shafter popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1898–1942
- Peak year (1898)
- 14
- Annual births at peak, across 45 years of records
Shafter by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Shafter's strongest decade.
48 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 40% of all-time use.
Shafter births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 14
1890s
14 births
- 1900s 18
1900s
18 births
- 1910s 7
1910s
7 births
- 1920s
1920s
48 births
- 1930s
1930s
26 births
- 1940s 6
1940s
6 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 48 births (40% of all-time use).
Shafter by state
Where Shafter concentrates geographically, total births since 1898
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Kentucky | | 5 | 4.2% |
Kentucky share of Shafter's total US births 4.2%
5 of 119 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shafter? ▼
Shafter has been given to 119 babies in the U.S. since 1898, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 1942. 14 babies were born in 1898, its single highest year.
When was Shafter most popular? ▼
Shafter was most popular in the 1920s decade with 48 total births. The single peak year was 1898.
Where is Shafter most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Shafter are Kentucky (5 births).
How long has the name Shafter been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Shafter since 1898 -- 45 years through the most recent 1942 data.
What names are similar to Shafter? ▼
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 Shafter's data
- Shafter's decade-level peak was the 1920s (48 total births); usage has since declined to 6 in the 1940s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Kentucky records the most Shafters (5 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Kentucky 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 Shafter
Nearby Names Like Shafter
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shafter
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 Shafter side by side: Shafter vs Shawn Shafter vs Shane Shafter vs Shaun
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1898–1942 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Shafter: Baby Name Since 1898 - 119 Births, Peak 1898." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/shafter. 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 Shafter 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.