Total births
2,255
Unisex name · since 1960
Shia
2,255 babies named Shia in U.S. Social Security records since 1960, with the highest year being 2024. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1199
- among boys today
- 2,255
- born since 1960
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other boys
Shia currently ranks #1199 among unisex names in America, with 2,255 babies recorded since 1960.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shia has been recorded 2,255 times among boys since 1960, currently ranked #1199 nationally and more common than 92% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2020s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1960 to 2025.
- #1199 among boys today
- 2,255 born since 1960
- 2020s peak decade
- 92% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Shia is currently the #1199 unisex name in America, more common than 92% of boys - 2,255 born since 1960, peaking in the 2020s.
- #1199
- among boys today
- 2,255
- born since 1960
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other boys
Shia vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1199
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 92% of names given to boys today.
2020s
Peak decade
40% of everyone ever named Shia was born in this single decade.
2024
Single peak year
171 babies were named Shia in 2024 - its busiest year on record.
How Shia compares
2,255 Top 20% higher than 80% 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
Shia's all-time total is 6x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Shia | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,255 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 171 | 23 | 22,252 |
Shia's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Shia splits its recorded history at 2006: 89% of all births land in the more recent half, 11% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1960 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2024 peak of 171 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Shia at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2024
Current rank
#1,199
Active since
1960
Shia popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1960–2025
- Peak year (2024)
- 171
- Annual births at peak, across 66 years of records
Shia popularity over time - girls
1,093 total births recorded since 1993 (Shia as girls' name)
Shia by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Shia's strongest decade.
897 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 40% of all-time use.
Shia births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 5
1960s
5 births
- 1980s 23
1980s
23 births
- 1990s 100
1990s
100 births
- 2000s
2000s
395 births
- 2010s
2010s
835 births
- 2020s
2020s
897 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 897 births (40% of all-time use).
How Shia 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 Shia's total volume
Shia vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Shia by state
Where Shia concentrates geographically, total births since 1960
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 1,071 | 47.5% |
| #2 | California | | 175 | 7.8% |
| #3 | Texas | | 91 | 4.0% |
| #4 | New Jersey | | 52 | 2.3% |
| #5 | Florida | | 44 | 2.0% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 21 | 0.9% |
| #7 | Virginia | | 17 | 0.8% |
| #8 | Arizona | | 14 | 0.6% |
New York share of Shia's total US births 47.5%
Even split
1,071 of 2,255 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 14 reporting states.
Shia appears in 14 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shia? ▼
2,255 babies have been named Shia since 1960. It currently ranks #1199 among boys. The peak year was 2024 with 171 births.
When was Shia most popular? ▼
Shia was most popular in the 2020s decade with 897 total births. The single peak year was 2024.
Where is Shia most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Shia are New York (1,071 births), California (175 births), Texas (91 births).
Is Shia a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Shia is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 2,255 births, and as a girl's name it has 1,093 births.
How long has the name Shia been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Shia since 1960 -- 66 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Shia? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Shirley, Shiloh, Shimon, Shiv, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Shia's data
- New York records the most Shias (1,071 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 Shia
Nearby Names Like Shia
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shia
Shirley Boy
9,551 births
Shiloh Boy
#334 9,414 births
Shimon Boy
#915 5,492 births
Shiv Boy
#1791 2,193 births
Shivam Boy
#3652 1,558 births
Compare Shia side by side: Shia vs Shirley Shia vs Shiloh Shia vs Shimon
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Shia
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, 1960–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Shia: #1199 Unisex Name - 2,255 Births, Peak 2024." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/shia. 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 Shia 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.