Boys' name · since 1972
Shah
Since 1972, U.S. Social Security records show 430 babies named Shah, peaking in 2009. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #8,638 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #6,902 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 430
- born since 1972
- 2010s
- peak decade
Yes -- Shah is the #6902 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 430 recorded since 1972.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shah has been recorded 430 times among boys since 1972, currently ranked #6902 nationally and more common than 50% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1972 to 2025.
- #8,638 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #6,902 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 430 born since 1972
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shah ranks #8,638 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #6,902 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 430 born since 1972, peaking in the 2010s.
- #8,638 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #6,902 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 430
- born since 1972
- 2010s
- peak decade
Shah's 430 recorded births place it above 81% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 2 jurisdictions, led by New York.
How Shah compares
430 Top 47% higher than 53% 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
Shah's all-time total is 17% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Shah | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 430 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 22 | 34 | 22,252 |
Shah's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Shah splits its recorded history at 2004: 59% of all births land in the more recent half, 41% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1972 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2009 peak of 22 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Shah popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1972–2025
- Peak year (2009)
- 22
- Annual births at peak, across 54 years of records
Shah popularity over time - girls
10 total births recorded since 1979 (Shah as girls' name)
Shah by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (108 births, 25% of the file).
2010s was Shah's strongest decade.
108 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.
Shah births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 40
1970s
40 births
- 1980s 18
1980s
18 births
- 1990s
1990s
79 births
- 2000s
2000s
106 births
- 2010s
2010s
108 births
- 2020s
2020s
79 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 108 births (25% of all-time use).
Shah by state
Where Shah concentrates geographically, total births since 1972
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Shah's data
- Shah's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (108 total births) through the 2020s (79) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- New York records the most Shahs (23 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Shah
Nearby Names Like Shah
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shah
Compare Shah side by side: Shah vs Shawn Shah vs Shane Shah vs Shaun
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Shah
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Shah: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2009)
Similar record span (~53 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, 1972–2025 (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 Shah 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.