Unisex name · since 1944
Shan
Since 1944, U.S. Social Security records show 2,224 babies named Shan, peaking in 1969. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #3,081 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 2,224
- born since 1944
- 1970s
- peak decade
Shan is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 2,224 have been recorded since 1944.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shan has been recorded 2,224 times among boys since 1944, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 1970s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1944 to 2024.
- #3,081 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 2,224 born since 1944
- 1970s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shan ranks #3,081 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 2,224 born since 1944, peaking in the 1970s.
- #3,081 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 2,224
- born since 1944
- 1970s
- peak decade
Shan's 2,224 recorded births place it above 93.22% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
9 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
Shan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Shan splits its recorded history at 1988: 44% of all births land in the more recent half, 56% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1944 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1969 peak of 73 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Shan popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1944–2024
- Peak year (1969)
- 73
- Annual births at peak, across 81 years of records
Shan popularity over time - girls
864 total births recorded since 1944 (Shan as girls' name)
Shan by decade
1970s is the heaviest window (540 births, 24% of the file).
1970s was Shan's strongest decade.
540 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.
Shan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 5
1940s
5 births
- 1950s 95
1950s
95 births
- 1960s
1960s
346 births
- 1970s
1970s
540 births
- 1980s
1980s
337 births
- 1990s
1990s
362 births
- 2000s
2000s
313 births
- 2010s 182
2010s
182 births
- 2020s 44
2020s
44 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 540 births (24% of all-time use).
How Shan 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 Shan's total volume
Shan by state
Where Shan concentrates geographically, total births since 1944
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 209 | 9.4% |
| #2 | Texas | | 66 | 3.0% |
| #3 | New York | | 55 | 2.5% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 23 | 1.0% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 21 | 0.9% |
| #6 | New Jersey | | 16 | 0.7% |
| #7 | Florida | | 13 | 0.6% |
| #8 | Louisiana | | 10 | 0.4% |
209 of 2,224 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 9 reporting states.
Shan appears in 9 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shan? ▼
Where does Shan sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Shan most popular? ▼
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Is Shan a unisex name? ▼
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What to do with Shan's data
- Shan's decade-level peak was the 1970s (540 total births); usage has since declined to 44 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Shans (209 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 Shan
Nearby Names Like Shan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shan
Compare Shan side by side: Shan vs Shawn Shan vs Shane Shan vs Shaun
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Shan: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1969)
Similar record span (~80 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, 1944–2024 (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 Shan 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.