Total births
77
Unisex name · since 1992
Shu
77 babies named Shu in U.S. Social Security records since 1992, with the highest year being 1992. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #12929
- among boys today
- 77
- born since 1992
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 10%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Shu is the #12929 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 77 recorded since 1992.
Shu has 77 recorded births among boys since 1992, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #12929 as of the latest data, more common than 10% 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 1992 to 2025.
- #12929 among boys today
- 77 born since 1992
- 1990s peak decade
- 10% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Shu is currently the #12929 unisex name in America, more common than 10% of boys - 77 born since 1992, peaking in the 1990s.
- #12929
- among boys today
- 77
- born since 1992
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 10%
- more common than other boys
Shu vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#12929
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 10% of names given to boys today.
1990s
Peak decade
31% of everyone ever named Shu was born in this single decade.
1992
Single peak year
8 babies were named Shu in 1992 - its busiest year on record.
How Shu compares
77 22th percentile among 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
Shu's all-time total is 79% below the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Shu | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 77 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 8 | 23 | 22,252 |
Shu's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Shu's full recorded timeline at 2011, 48% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 52% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1996, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1992 peak of 8 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Shu at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1992
Current rank
#12,929
Active since
1992
Shu popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1992–2025
- Peak year (1992)
- 8
- Annual births at peak, across 34 years of records
Shu popularity over time - girls
18 total births recorded since 1978 (Shu as girls' name)
Shu by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Shu's strongest decade.
24 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Shu births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1990s
1990s
24 births
- 2000s
2000s
16 births
- 2010s
2010s
17 births
- 2020s
2020s
20 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 24 births (31% of all-time use).
Shu by state
Where Shu concentrates geographically, total births since 1992
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 6 | 7.8% |
California share of Shu's total US births 7.8%
6 of 77 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shu? ▼
Since 1992, Social Security records show 77 babies named Shu. Today it holds rank #12929 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1992, with 8 births.
When was Shu most popular? ▼
Shu was most popular in the 1990s decade with 24 total births. The single peak year was 1992.
Where is Shu most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Shu are California (6 births).
Is Shu a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Shu is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 77 births, and as a girl's name it has 18 births.
How long has the name Shu been used? ▼
Records for Shu go back to 1992, giving 34 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Shu? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Shulem, Shun, Shubh, Shuaib, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Shu's data
- Shu's usage has stayed within range of its 1990s decade-level peak (24 total births) through the 2020s (20) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Shus (6 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 Shu
Nearby Names Like Shu
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shu
Shulem Boy
#1986 1,584 births
Shun Boy
909 births
Shubh Boy
#3762 418 births
Shuaib Boy
#4952 333 births
Shubham Boy
#10316 310 births
Compare Shu side by side: Shu vs Shulem Shu vs Shun Shu vs Shubh
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Shu
Jaguar #12928
68 births · Peak 1995
Alontae #12930
223 births · Peak 1999
Keagen #12927
1,047 births · Peak 2008
Drequan #12931
520 births · Peak 2000
Terryon #12926
289 births · Peak 2004
Jourden #12932
201 births · Peak 2010
Steeven #12925
38 births · Peak 2025
Keylin #12933
315 births · Peak 2014
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, 1992–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Shu: #12929 Unisex Name - 77 Births, Peak 1992." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/shu. 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 Shu 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.