Total births
5,815
Girls' name · since 1941
Shira
Shira has 5,815 recorded births since 1941 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2009 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2334
- among girls today
- 5,815
- born since 1941
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 87%
- more common than other girls
Shira currently ranks #2334 among girls' names in America, with 5,815 babies recorded since 1941.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shira has been recorded 5,815 times among girls since 1941, currently ranked #2334 nationally and more common than 87% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2000s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1941 to 2025.
- #2334 among girls today
- 5,815 born since 1941
- 2000s peak decade
- 87% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Shira is currently the #2334 girls' name in America, more common than 87% of girls - 5,815 born since 1941, peaking in the 2000s.
- #2334
- among girls today
- 5,815
- born since 1941
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 87%
- more common than other girls
Shira vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#2334
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 87% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
23% of everyone ever named Shira was born in this single decade.
2009
Single peak year
159 babies were named Shira in 2009 - its busiest year on record.
How Shira compares
5,815 Top 12% higher than 88% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Shira's all-time total is 15x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Shira | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 5,815 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 159 | 48 | 19,840 |
Shira's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Shira splits its recorded history at 1986: 70% of all births land in the more recent half, 30% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1947 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2009 peak of 159 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Shira at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2009
Current rank
#2,334
Active since
1941
Shira popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1941–2025
- Peak year (2009)
- 159
- Annual births at peak, across 85 years of records
Shira by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Shira's strongest decade.
1,324 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Shira births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 25
1940s
25 births
- 1950s 131
1950s
131 births
- 1960s 224
1960s
224 births
- 1970s
1970s
650 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,182 births
- 1990s
1990s
988 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,324 births
- 2010s
2010s
861 births
- 2020s 430
2020s
430 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 1,324 births (23% of all-time use).
How Shira compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Shira's total volume
Shira vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Shira by state
Where Shira concentrates geographically, total births since 1941
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 1,700 | 29.2% |
| #2 | California | | 654 | 11.2% |
| #3 | New Jersey | | 458 | 7.9% |
| #4 | Maryland | | 226 | 3.9% |
| #5 | Florida | | 183 | 3.1% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 181 | 3.1% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 136 | 2.3% |
| #8 | Massachusetts | | 115 | 2.0% |
New York share of Shira's total US births 29.2%
Even split
1,700 of 5,815 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 16 reporting states.
Shira appears in 16 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shira? ▼
Shira has been given to 5,815 babies in the U.S. since 1941, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #2334 as of the latest data. 159 babies were born in 2009, its single highest year.
When was Shira most popular? ▼
Shira was most popular in the 2000s decade with 1,324 total births. The single peak year was 2009.
Where is Shira most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Shira are New York (1,700 births), California (654 births), New Jersey (458 births).
How long has the name Shira been used? ▼
Shira has been recorded in Social Security data since 1941, spanning 85 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Shira? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Shirley, Shiloh, Shirlee, Shirlene, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Shira's data
- Shira's decade-level peak was the 2000s (1,324 total births); usage has since declined to 430 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Shiras (1,700 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 Shira
Nearby Names Like Shira
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shira
Shirley Girl
#1452 686,383 births
Shiloh Girl
#260 15,117 births
Shirlee Girl
#15433 5,709 births
Shirlene Girl
4,856 births
Shiela Girl
4,408 births
Compare Shira side by side: Shira vs Shirley Shira vs Shiloh Shira vs Shirlee
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Shira
Hillary #2333
29,043 births · Peak 1992
Gittel #2335
1,479 births · Peak 2024
Emme #2332
3,613 births · Peak 2009
Zarina #2336
1,612 births · Peak 2015
Marla #2331
38,781 births · Peak 1955
Leya #2337
1,705 births · Peak 2025
Isobel #2330
3,802 births · Peak 2016
Shaina #2338
11,992 births · Peak 1988
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, 1941–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Shira: #2334 Girls' Name - 5,815 Births, Peak 2009." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/shira. 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 Shira 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.