Boys' name · since 1914
Shaw
Since 1914, U.S. Social Security records show 1,336 babies named Shaw, peaking in 2020. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #4,270 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #4,719 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,336
- born since 1914
- 2010s
- peak decade
Yes -- Shaw is the #4719 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 1,336 recorded since 1914.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shaw has been recorded 1,336 times among boys since 1914, currently ranked #4719 nationally and more common than 66% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1914 to 2025.
- #4,270 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #4,719 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 1,336 born since 1914
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shaw ranks #4,270 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #4,719 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 1,336 born since 1914, peaking in the 2010s.
- #4,270 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #4,719 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,336
- born since 1914
- 2010s
- peak decade
Shaw's 1,336 recorded births place it above 90.61% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 2 jurisdictions, led by California.
How Shaw compares
1,336 Top 27% higher than 73% 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
Shaw's all-time total is 4x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Shaw | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,336 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 39 | 34 | 22,252 |
Shaw's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Shaw's full recorded timeline at 1990, 64% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 36% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1920, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2020 peak of 39 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Shaw popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1914–2025
- Peak year (2020)
- 39
- Annual births at peak, across 112 years of records
Shaw popularity over time - girls
62 total births recorded since 1969 (Shaw as girls' name)
Shaw by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (284 births, 21% of the file).
2010s was Shaw's strongest decade.
284 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Shaw births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 6
1910s
6 births
- 1920s 12
1920s
12 births
- 1930s 5
1930s
5 births
- 1950s 16
1950s
16 births
- 1960s 71
1960s
71 births
- 1970s
1970s
195 births
- 1980s
1980s
179 births
- 1990s
1990s
186 births
- 2000s
2000s
205 births
- 2010s
2010s
284 births
- 2020s
2020s
177 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 284 births (21% of all-time use).
How Shaw 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 Shaw's total volume
Shaw by state
Where Shaw concentrates geographically, total births since 1914
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 26 | 1.9% |
| #2 | New York | | 5 | 0.4% |
26 of 1,336 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Shaw's data
- Shaw's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (284 total births) through the 2020s (177) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Shaws (26 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 Shaw
Nearby Names Like Shaw
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shaw
Compare Shaw side by side: Shaw vs Shawn Shaw vs Shane Shaw vs Shaun
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Shaw
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Shaw: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2020)
Similar record span (~111 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, 1914–2025 (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 Shaw 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.