Total births
70,481
Boys' name · since 1935
Shaun
70,481 babies named Shaun in U.S. Social Security records since 1935, with the highest year being 1978. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1567
- among boys today
- 70,481
- born since 1935
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 89%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Shaun is the #1567 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 70,481 recorded since 1935.
Social Security Administration records show Shaun recorded 70,481 times among boys since 1935, holding rank #1567 nationally today, ahead of 89% of boys, 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 1935 to 2025.
- #1567 among boys today
- 70,481 born since 1935
- 1980s peak decade
- 89% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Shaun is currently the #1567 boys' name in America, more common than 89% of boys - 70,481 born since 1935, peaking in the 1980s.
- #1567
- among boys today
- 70,481
- born since 1935
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 89%
- more common than other boys
Shaun vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1567
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 89% of names given to boys today.
1980s
Peak decade
35% of everyone ever named Shaun was born in this single decade.
1978
Single peak year
6,105 babies were named Shaun in 1978 - its busiest year on record.
How Shaun compares
70,481 Top 3% higher than 97% of 14,294 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
Shaun's all-time total is 192x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Shaun | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 70,481 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 6,105 | 23 | 22,252 |
Shaun's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Shaun splits its recorded history at 1980: 63% of all births land in the more recent half, 37% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1935 (8 births) -- compare that against the 1978 peak of 6,105 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Shaun at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1978
Current rank
#1,567
Active since
1935
Shaun popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1935–2025
- Peak year (1978)
- 6,105
- Annual births at peak, across 91 years of records
Shaun popularity over time - girls
3,129 total births recorded since 1945 (Shaun as girls' name)
Shaun by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Shaun's strongest decade.
24,470 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 35% of all-time use.
Shaun births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1930s 63
1930s
63 births
- 1940s 230
1940s
230 births
- 1950s 1,239
1950s
1,239 births
- 1960s 5,559
1960s
5,559 births
- 1970s
1970s
19,317 births
- 1980s
1980s
24,470 births
- 1990s 8,621
1990s
8,621 births
- 2000s 7,010
2000s
7,010 births
- 2010s 3,219
2010s
3,219 births
- 2020s 753
2020s
753 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 24,470 births (35% of all-time use).
How Shaun 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 Shaun's total volume
Shaun vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Shaun by state
Where Shaun concentrates geographically, total births since 1935
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 7,417 | 10.5% |
| #2 | New York | | 5,163 | 7.3% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 3,608 | 5.1% |
| #4 | Texas | | 3,546 | 5.0% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 3,425 | 4.9% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 3,251 | 4.6% |
| #7 | Florida | | 2,976 | 4.2% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 2,856 | 4.1% |
California share of Shaun's total US births 10.5%
Even split
7,417 of 70,481 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Shaun appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shaun? ▼
70,481 babies have been named Shaun since 1935. It currently ranks #1567 among boys. The peak year was 1978 with 6,105 births.
When was Shaun most popular? ▼
Shaun was most popular in the 1980s decade with 24,470 total births. The single peak year was 1978.
Where is Shaun most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Shaun are California (7,417 births), New York (5,163 births), Ohio (3,608 births).
How long has the name Shaun been used? ▼
Shaun has been recorded in Social Security data since 1935, spanning 91 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Shaun? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Shawn, Shane, Shannon, Shayne, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Shaun's data
- Shaun's decade-level peak was the 1980s (24,470 total births); usage has since declined to 753 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Shauns (7,417 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Shaun
Nearby Names Like Shaun
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shaun
Shawn Boy
#637 306,542 births
Shane Boy
#601 192,583 births
Shannon Boy
#2597 52,379 births
Shayne Boy
#4006 10,741 births
Shamar Boy
#3308 6,137 births
Compare Shaun side by side: Shaun vs Shawn Shaun vs Shane Shaun vs Shannon
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Shaun
Hendrick #1566
1,664 births · Peak 2024
Davon #1568
13,396 births · Peak 1994
Holland #1565
3,172 births · Peak 2025
Luan #1569
1,107 births · Peak 2025
Nate #1564
4,490 births · Peak 2007
Ender #1570
1,857 births · Peak 2022
Lester #1563
130,688 births · Peak 1918
Jakobi #1571
2,650 births · Peak 2022
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, 1935–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Shaun: #1567 Boys' Name - 70,481 Births, Peak 1978." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/shaun. 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 Shaun 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.