Unisex name · since 1950
Shon
Since 1950, U.S. Social Security records show 5,172 babies named Shon, peaking in 1971. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1,747 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #8,347 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 5,172
- born since 1950
- 1970s
- peak decade
5,172 babies have been named Shon since 1950, making it today's #8347 unisex name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shon has been recorded 5,172 times among boys since 1950, currently ranked #8347 nationally and more common than 40% 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 1950 to 2025.
- #1,747 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #8,347 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 5,172 born since 1950
- 1970s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shon ranks #1,747 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #8,347 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 5,172 born since 1950, peaking in the 1970s.
- #1,747 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #8,347 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 5,172
- born since 1950
- 1970s
- peak decade
Shon's 5,172 recorded births place it above 96.15% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
36 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Shon compares
5,172 Top 13% higher than 87% 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
Shon's all-time total is 14x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Shon | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 5,172 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 301 | 34 | 22,252 |
Shon's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Shon's SSA record in two at 1989 and the more recent half accounts for 29% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 71%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1953, with only 6 births recorded -- set against the 1971 peak of 301, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Shon popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1950–2025
- Peak year (1971)
- 301
- Annual births at peak, across 76 years of records
Shon popularity over time - girls
358 total births recorded since 1956 (Shon as girls' name)
Shon by decade
1970s is the heaviest window (2,051 births, 40% of the file).
1970s was Shon's strongest decade.
2,051 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 40% of all-time use.
Shon births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 87
1950s
87 births
- 1960s
1960s
940 births
- 1970s
1970s
2,051 births
- 1980s 691
1980s
691 births
- 1990s 685
1990s
685 births
- 2000s 424
2000s
424 births
- 2010s 209
2010s
209 births
- 2020s 85
2020s
85 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 2,051 births (40% of all-time use).
How Shon 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 Shon's total volume
Shon by state
Where Shon concentrates geographically, total births since 1950
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 619 | 12.0% |
| #2 | Texas | | 301 | 5.8% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 177 | 3.4% |
| #4 | New York | | 115 | 2.2% |
| #5 | Missouri | | 101 | 2.0% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 97 | 1.9% |
| #7 | Georgia | | 92 | 1.8% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 92 | 1.8% |
619 of 5,172 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 36 reporting states.
Shon appears in 36 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Shon's data
- Shon's decade-level peak was the 1970s (2,051 total births); usage has since declined to 85 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Shons (619 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Shon
Nearby Names Like Shon
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shon
Compare Shon side by side: Shon vs Sholom Shon vs Shomari Shon vs Shourya
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Shon
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Shon: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1971)
Similar record span (~75 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, 1950–2025 (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 Shon 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.