Total births
4,945
Girls' name · since 1927
Shara
Shara has 4,945 recorded births since 1927 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1979 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #15507
- among girls today
- 4,945
- born since 1927
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 13%
- more common than other girls
4,945 babies have been named Shara since 1927, making it today's #15507 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Shara recorded 4,945 times among girls since 1927, holding rank #15507 nationally today, ahead of 13% of girls, peaking in the 1980s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1927 to 2025.
- #15507 among girls today
- 4,945 born since 1927
- 1980s peak decade
- 13% more common than other girls
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Shara is currently the #15507 girls' name in America, more common than 13% of girls - 4,945 born since 1927, peaking in the 1980s.
- #15507
- among girls today
- 4,945
- born since 1927
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 13%
- more common than other girls
Shara vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#15507
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 13% of names given to girls today.
1980s
Peak decade
33% of everyone ever named Shara was born in this single decade.
1979
Single peak year
232 babies were named Shara in 1979 - its busiest year on record.
How Shara compares
4,945 Top 13% higher than 87% of 17,726 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
Shara's all-time total is 13x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Shara | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,945 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 232 | 48 | 19,840 |
Shara's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Shara's full recorded timeline at 1980, 51% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 49% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1927, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1979 peak of 232 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Shara at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1979
Current rank
#15,507
Active since
1927
Shara popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1927–2025
- Peak year (1979)
- 232
- Annual births at peak, across 99 years of records
Shara popularity over time - boys
5 total births recorded since 1975 (Shara as boys' name)
Shara by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Shara's strongest decade.
1,626 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 33% of all-time use.
Shara births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 5
1920s
5 births
- 1930s 22
1930s
22 births
- 1940s 181
1940s
181 births
- 1950s 253
1950s
253 births
- 1960s 602
1960s
602 births
- 1970s
1970s
1,378 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,626 births
- 1990s 525
1990s
525 births
- 2000s 234
2000s
234 births
- 2010s 86
2010s
86 births
- 2020s 33
2020s
33 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 1,626 births (33% of all-time use).
How Shara compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Shara's total volume
Shara vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Shara by state
Where Shara concentrates geographically, total births since 1927
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 454 | 9.2% |
| #2 | California | | 432 | 8.7% |
| #3 | New York | | 235 | 4.8% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 115 | 2.3% |
| #5 | Florida | | 80 | 1.6% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 76 | 1.5% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 68 | 1.4% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 67 | 1.4% |
Texas share of Shara's total US births 9.2%
Even split
454 of 4,945 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 35 reporting states.
Shara appears in 35 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shara? ▼
Since 1927, Social Security records show 4,945 babies named Shara. Today it holds rank #15507 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1979, with 232 births.
When was Shara most popular? ▼
Shara was most popular in the 1980s decade with 1,626 total births. The single peak year was 1979.
Where is Shara most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Shara are Texas (454 births), California (432 births), New York (235 births).
How long has the name Shara been used? ▼
Shara has been recorded in Social Security data since 1927, spanning 99 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Shara? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Sharon, Shannon, Shawna, Shari, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Shara's data
- Shara's decade-level peak was the 1980s (1,626 total births); usage has since declined to 33 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Sharas (454 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Shara
Nearby Names Like Shara
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shara
Sharon Girl
#1224 723,024 births
Shannon Girl
#1874 295,782 births
Shawna Girl
#6004 45,531 births
Shari Girl
#13636 40,927 births
Shawn Girl
#7307 33,055 births
Compare Shara side by side: Shara vs Sharon Shara vs Shannon Shara vs Shawna
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Shara
Febe #15506
292 births · Peak 2015
Joannie #15508
1,586 births · Peak 1954
Aree #15505
55 births · Peak 2019
Lorelie #15509
416 births · Peak 2009
Maryclare #15504
353 births · Peak 1996
Cicilia #15510
123 births · Peak 2005
Julene #15503
1,715 births · Peak 1958
Christin #15511
11,199 births · Peak 1989
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1927–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Shara: #15507 Girls' Name - 4,945 Births, Peak 1979." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/shara. 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 Shara 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 July 2026.