Boys' name · since 1959
Shamus
Since 1959, U.S. Social Security records show 1,778 babies named Shamus, peaking in 2007. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #3,554 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #8,361 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,778
- born since 1959
- 2000s
- peak decade
Yes -- Shamus is the #8361 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 1,778 recorded since 1959.
Shamus has 1,778 recorded births among boys since 1959, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #8361 as of the latest data, more common than 40% of boys, busiest in the 2000s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1959 to 2025.
- #3,554 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #8,361 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 1,778 born since 1959
- 2000s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shamus ranks #3,554 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #8,361 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 1,778 born since 1959, peaking in the 2000s.
- #3,554 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #8,361 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,778
- born since 1959
- 2000s
- peak decade
Shamus's 1,778 recorded births place it above 92.18% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
9 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Massachusetts.
How Shamus compares
1,778 Top 23% higher than 77% 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
Shamus's all-time total is 5x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Shamus | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,778 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 72 | 34 | 22,252 |
Shamus's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Shamus's SSA record in two at 1994 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 1965, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2007 peak of 72, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Shamus popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1959–2025
- Peak year (2007)
- 72
- Annual births at peak, across 67 years of records
Shamus by decade
2000s is the heaviest window (502 births, 28% of the file).
2000s was Shamus's strongest decade.
502 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Shamus births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 7
1950s
7 births
- 1960s 38
1960s
38 births
- 1970s
1970s
339 births
- 1980s
1980s
280 births
- 1990s
1990s
350 births
- 2000s
2000s
502 births
- 2010s
2010s
220 births
- 2020s 42
2020s
42 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 502 births (28% of all-time use).
How Shamus 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 Shamus's total volume
Shamus by state
Where Shamus concentrates geographically, total births since 1959
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Massachusetts | | 106 | 6.0% |
| #2 | New York | | 80 | 4.5% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 62 | 3.5% |
| #4 | California | | 46 | 2.6% |
| #5 | Texas | | 10 | 0.6% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 6 | 0.3% |
| #7 | Florida | | 5 | 0.3% |
| #8 | Iowa | | 5 | 0.3% |
106 of 1,778 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 9 reporting states.
Shamus appears in 9 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shamus? ▼
Where does Shamus sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Shamus most popular? ▼
Where is Shamus most popular? ▼
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What to do with Shamus's data
- Shamus's decade-level peak was the 2000s (502 total births); usage has since declined to 42 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Massachusetts records the most Shamuss (106 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Massachusetts names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Shamus
Nearby Names Like Shamus
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shamus
Compare Shamus side by side: Shamus vs Shawn Shamus vs Shane Shamus vs Shaun
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Shamus
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Shamus: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2007)
Similar record span (~66 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, 1959–2025 (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 Shamus 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.