Total births
40,927
Girls' name · since 1927
Shari
Since 1927, U.S. Social Security records show 40,927 babies named Shari, peaking in 1961. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #13636
- among girls today
- 40,927
- born since 1927
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 23%
- more common than other girls
Shari currently ranks #13636 among girls' names in America, with 40,927 babies recorded since 1927.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shari has been recorded 40,927 times among girls since 1927, currently ranked #13636 nationally and more common than 23% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1960s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1927 to 2025.
- #13636 among girls today
- 40,927 born since 1927
- 1960s peak decade
- 23% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Shari is currently the #13636 girls' name in America, more common than 23% of girls - 40,927 born since 1927, peaking in the 1960s.
- #13636
- among girls today
- 40,927
- born since 1927
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 23%
- more common than other girls
Shari vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#13636
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 23% of names given to girls today.
1960s
Peak decade
50% of everyone ever named Shari was born in this single decade.
1961
Single peak year
3,117 babies were named Shari in 1961 - its busiest year on record.
How Shari compares
40,927 Top 4% higher than 96% 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
Shari's all-time total is 107x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Shari | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 40,927 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 3,117 | 48 | 19,840 |
Shari's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Shari's full recorded timeline at 1976, 16% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 84% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 2021, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1961 peak of 3,117 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Shari at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1961
Current rank
#13,636
Active since
1927
Shari popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1927–2025
- Peak year (1961)
- 3,117
- Annual births at peak, across 99 years of records
Shari popularity over time - boys
46 total births recorded since 1959 (Shari as boys' name)
Shari by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Shari's strongest decade.
20,516 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 50% of all-time use.
Shari births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 27
1920s
27 births
- 1930s 323
1930s
323 births
- 1940s 2,031
1940s
2,031 births
- 1950s 6,460
1950s
6,460 births
- 1960s
1960s
20,516 births
- 1970s 6,439
1970s
6,439 births
- 1980s 3,630
1980s
3,630 births
- 1990s 1,038
1990s
1,038 births
- 2000s 295
2000s
295 births
- 2010s 127
2010s
127 births
- 2020s 41
2020s
41 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 20,516 births (50% of all-time use).
How Shari 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 Shari's total volume
Shari vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Shari by state
Where Shari concentrates geographically, total births since 1927
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 4,741 | 11.6% |
| #2 | California | | 4,005 | 9.8% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 2,235 | 5.5% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 2,171 | 5.3% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 2,166 | 5.3% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 1,882 | 4.6% |
| #7 | Texas | | 1,808 | 4.4% |
| #8 | Minnesota | | 1,496 | 3.7% |
New York share of Shari's total US births 11.6%
Even split
4,741 of 40,927 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Shari appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shari? ▼
Shari has been given to 40,927 babies in the U.S. since 1927, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #13636 as of the latest data. 3,117 babies were born in 1961, its single highest year.
When was Shari most popular? ▼
Shari was most popular in the 1960s decade with 20,516 total births. The single peak year was 1961.
Where is Shari most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Shari are New York (4,741 births), California (4,005 births), Ohio (2,235 births).
How long has the name Shari been used? ▼
Shari has been recorded in Social Security data since 1927, spanning 99 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Shari? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Sharon, Shannon, Shawna, Shawn, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Shari's data
- Shari's decade-level peak was the 1960s (20,516 total births); usage has since declined to 41 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Sharis (4,741 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Shari
Nearby Names Like Shari
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shari
Sharon Girl
#1224 723,024 births
Shannon Girl
#1874 295,782 births
Shawna Girl
#6004 45,531 births
Shawn Girl
#7307 33,055 births
Shayla Girl
#1803 30,933 births
Compare Shari side by side: Shari vs Sharon Shari vs Shannon Shari vs Shawna
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Shari
Data Sources
Data as of June 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. "Shari: #13636 Girls' Name - 40,927 Births, Peak 1961." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/shari. 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 Shari 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 June 2026.