Unisex name · since 2001
Sham
240 babies named Sham in U.S. Social Security records since 2001, with the highest year being 2018. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #18,005 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #5,201 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 240
- born since 2001
- 2010s
- peak decade
240 babies have been named Sham since 2001, making it today's #5201 unisex name.
Social Security Administration records show Sham recorded 240 times among girls since 2001, holding rank #5201 nationally today, ahead of 70% of girls, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 2001 to 2025.
- #18,005 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #5,201 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 240 born since 2001
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Sham ranks #18,005 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #5,201 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 240 born since 2001, peaking in the 2010s.
- #18,005 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #5,201 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 240
- born since 2001
- 2010s
- peak decade
Sham's 240 recorded births place it above 75.1% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 3 jurisdictions, led by California.
How Sham compares
240 40th percentile among 17,297 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Sham's all-time total is 36% below the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Sham | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 240 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 33 | 21 | 19,840 |
Sham's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Sham's SSA record in two at 2018 and the more recent half accounts for 56% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 44%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 2007, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2018 peak of 33, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Sham popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 2001–2025
- Peak year (2018)
- 33
- Annual births at peak, across 25 years of records
Sham popularity over time - boys
36 total births recorded since 1972 (Sham as boys' name)
Sham by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (142 births, 59% of the file).
2010s was Sham's strongest decade.
142 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 59% of all-time use.
Sham births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 2000s 11
2000s
11 births
- 2010s
2010s
142 births
- 2020s
2020s
87 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 142 births (59% of all-time use).
Sham by state
Where Sham concentrates geographically, total births since 2001
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 5 | 2.1% |
| #2 | Illinois | | 5 | 2.1% |
| #3 | Texas | | 5 | 2.1% |
5 of 240 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 3 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Sham's data
- Sham's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (142 total births) through the 2020s (87) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Shams (5 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Sham
Nearby Names Like Sham
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Sham
Compare Sham side by side: Sham vs Sharon Sham vs Shannon Sham vs Shawna
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Sham
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Sham: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2018)
Similar record span (~24 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, 2001–2025 (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 Sham 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.