Boys' name · since 1954
Shem
750 babies named Shem in U.S. Social Security records since 1954, with the highest year being 1976. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #6,154 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #7,778 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 750
- born since 1954
- 1970s
- peak decade
Yes -- Shem is the #7778 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 750 recorded since 1954.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shem has been recorded 750 times among boys since 1954, currently ranked #7778 nationally and more common than 44% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1970s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1954 to 2025.
- #6,154 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #7,778 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 750 born since 1954
- 1970s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shem ranks #6,154 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #7,778 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 750 born since 1954, peaking in the 1970s.
- #6,154 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #7,778 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 750
- born since 1954
- 1970s
- peak decade
Shem's 750 recorded births place it above 86.46% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 3 jurisdictions, led by New York.
How Shem compares
750 Top 36% higher than 64% 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
Shem's all-time total is 103% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Shem | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 750 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 23 | 34 | 22,252 |
Shem's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Shem's SSA record in two at 1995 and the more recent half accounts for 49% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 51%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1954, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1976 peak of 23, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Shem popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1954–2025
- Peak year (1976)
- 23
- Annual births at peak, across 72 years of records
Shem popularity over time - girls
5 total births recorded since 1970 (Shem as girls' name)
Shem by decade
1970s is the heaviest window (156 births, 21% of the file).
1970s was Shem's strongest decade.
156 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Shem births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 5
1950s
5 births
- 1960s 36
1960s
36 births
- 1970s
1970s
156 births
- 1980s
1980s
123 births
- 1990s
1990s
110 births
- 2000s
2000s
113 births
- 2010s
2010s
130 births
- 2020s
2020s
77 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 156 births (21% of all-time use).
How Shem 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 Shem's total volume
Shem by state
Where Shem concentrates geographically, total births since 1954
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 15 | 2.0% |
| #2 | Utah | | 10 | 1.3% |
| #3 | California | | 5 | 0.7% |
15 of 750 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 3 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shem? ▼
Where does Shem sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Shem most popular? ▼
Where is Shem most popular? ▼
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What to do with Shem's data
- Shem's usage has stayed within range of its 1970s decade-level peak (156 total births) through the 2020s (77) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- New York records the most Shems (15 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Shem
Nearby Names Like Shem
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shem
Compare Shem side by side: Shem vs Sherman Shem vs Sheldon Shem vs Shelby
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Shem
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Shem: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1976)
Similar record span (~71 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, 1954–2025 (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 Shem 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.