Total births
461
Boys' name · since 1923
Sho
461 babies named Sho in U.S. Social Security records since 1923, with the highest year being 1990. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #8409
- among boys today
- 461
- born since 1923
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 41%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Sho is the #8409 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 461 recorded since 1923.
Sho has 461 recorded births among boys since 1923, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #8409 as of the latest data, more common than 41% of boys, busiest in the 1990s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1923 to 2025.
- #8409 among boys today
- 461 born since 1923
- 1990s peak decade
- 41% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Sho is currently the #8409 boys' name in America, more common than 41% of boys - 461 born since 1923, peaking in the 1990s.
- #8409
- among boys today
- 461
- born since 1923
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 41%
- more common than other boys
Sho vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#8409
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 41% of names given to boys today.
1990s
Peak decade
28% of everyone ever named Sho was born in this single decade.
1990
Single peak year
20 babies were named Sho in 1990 - its busiest year on record.
How Sho compares
461 Top 45% higher than 55% 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
Sho's all-time total is 26% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Sho | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 461 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 20 | 23 | 22,252 |
Sho's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Sho's SSA record in two at 2004 and the more recent half accounts for 46% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 54%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1982, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1990 peak of 20, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Sho at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1990
Current rank
#8,409
Active since
1923
Sho popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1923–2025
- Peak year (1990)
- 20
- Annual births at peak, across 103 years of records
Sho by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Sho's strongest decade.
129 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Sho births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 8
1920s
8 births
- 1980s
1980s
55 births
- 1990s
1990s
129 births
- 2000s
2000s
111 births
- 2010s
2010s
112 births
- 2020s 46
2020s
46 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 129 births (28% of all-time use).
Sho by state
Where Sho concentrates geographically, total births since 1923
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 73 | 15.8% |
| #2 | New York | | 10 | 2.2% |
California share of Sho's total US births 15.8%
Even split
73 of 461 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Sho? ▼
Since 1923, Social Security records show 461 babies named Sho. Today it holds rank #8409 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1990, with 20 births.
When was Sho most popular? ▼
Sho was most popular in the 1990s decade with 129 total births. The single peak year was 1990.
Where is Sho most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Sho are California (73 births), New York (10 births).
How long has the name Sho been used? ▼
Records for Sho go back to 1923, giving 103 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Sho? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Shon, Sholom, Shomari, Shourya, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Sho's data
- Sho's usage has stayed within range of its 1990s decade-level peak (129 total births) through the 2020s (46) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Shos (73 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 Sho
Nearby Names Like Sho
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Sho
Shon Boy
#6898 5,172 births
Sholom Boy
#2685 1,497 births
Shomari Boy
#10125 1,129 births
Shourya Boy
#4181 506 births
Shone Boy
335 births
Compare Sho side by side: Sho vs Shon Sho vs Sholom Sho vs Shomari
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Sho
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, 1923–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Sho: #8409 Boys' Name - 461 Births, Peak 1990." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/sho. 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 Sho 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.