Total births
306,542
Unisex name · since 1931
Shawn
306,542 babies named Shawn in U.S. Social Security records since 1931, with the highest year being 1971. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #637
- among boys today
- 306,542
- born since 1931
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other boys
306,542 babies have been named Shawn since 1931, making it today's #637 unisex name.
Shawn has 306,542 recorded births among boys since 1931, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #637 as of the latest data, more common than 96% of boys, busiest in the 1970s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1931 to 2025.
- #637 among boys today
- 306,542 born since 1931
- 1970s peak decade
- 96% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Shawn is currently the #637 unisex name in America, more common than 96% of boys - 306,542 born since 1931, peaking in the 1970s.
- #637
- among boys today
- 306,542
- born since 1931
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other boys
Shawn vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#637
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 96% of names given to boys today.
1970s
Peak decade
35% of everyone ever named Shawn was born in this single decade.
1971
Single peak year
12,825 babies were named Shawn in 1971 - its busiest year on record.
How Shawn compares
306,542 Top 1% higher than 99% 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
Shawn's all-time total is 835x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Shawn | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 306,542 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 12,825 | 23 | 22,252 |
Shawn's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Shawn splits its recorded history at 1980: 48% of all births land in the more recent half, 52% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1936 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1971 peak of 12,825 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Shawn at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1971
Current rank
#637
Active since
1931
Shawn popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1931–2025
- Peak year (1971)
- 12,825
- Annual births at peak, across 95 years of records
Shawn popularity over time - girls
33,055 total births recorded since 1932 (Shawn as girls' name)
Shawn by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Shawn's strongest decade.
105,790 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 35% of all-time use.
Shawn births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1930s 40
1930s
40 births
- 1940s 459
1940s
459 births
- 1950s 6,460
1950s
6,460 births
- 1960s
1960s
47,795 births
- 1970s
1970s
105,790 births
- 1980s
1980s
65,598 births
- 1990s
1990s
42,483 births
- 2000s 24,198
2000s
24,198 births
- 2010s 10,673
2010s
10,673 births
- 2020s 3,046
2020s
3,046 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 105,790 births (35% of all-time use).
How Shawn 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 Shawn's total volume
Shawn vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Shawn by state
Where Shawn concentrates geographically, total births since 1931
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 26,499 | 8.6% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 22,845 | 7.5% |
| #3 | New York | | 21,768 | 7.1% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 19,782 | 6.5% |
| #5 | Texas | | 14,783 | 4.8% |
| #6 | Florida | | 12,532 | 4.1% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 12,448 | 4.1% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 11,919 | 3.9% |
California share of Shawn's total US births 8.6%
Even split
26,499 of 306,542 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Shawn appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shawn? ▼
Shawn has been given to 306,542 babies in the U.S. since 1931, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #637 as of the latest data. 12,825 babies were born in 1971, its single highest year.
When was Shawn most popular? ▼
Shawn was most popular in the 1970s decade with 105,790 total births. The single peak year was 1971.
Where is Shawn most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Shawn are California (26,499 births), Pennsylvania (22,845 births), New York (21,768 births).
Is Shawn a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Shawn is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 306,542 births, and as a girl's name it has 33,055 births.
How long has the name Shawn been used? ▼
Shawn has been recorded in Social Security data since 1931, spanning 95 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Shawn? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Shane, Shaun, Shannon, Shayne, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Shawn's data
- Shawn's decade-level peak was the 1970s (105,790 total births); usage has since declined to 3,046 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Shawns (26,499 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 Shawn
Nearby Names Like Shawn
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shawn
Shane Boy
#601 192,583 births
Shaun Boy
#1567 70,481 births
Shannon Boy
#2597 52,379 births
Shayne Boy
#4006 10,741 births
Shamar Boy
#3308 6,137 births
Compare Shawn side by side: Shawn vs Shane Shawn vs Shaun Shawn vs Shannon
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Shawn
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, 1931–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Shawn: #637 Unisex Name - 306,542 Births, Peak 1971." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/shawn. 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 Shawn 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.