Boys' name · since 1925
Shun
Since 1925, U.S. Social Security records show 909 babies named Shun, peaking in 1980. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- 909
- total births
- 1925–2023
- years on record
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 31%
- born in that decade
Shun sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 909 recorded since 1925.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shun has been recorded 909 times among boys since 1925, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, 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 1925 to 2023.
- 909 total births
- 1925–2023 years on record
- 1970s peak decade
- 31% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
909 boys have been named Shun since 1925, peaking in the 1970s, last recorded in 2023.
- 909
- total births
- 1925–2023
- years on record
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 31%
- born in that decade
31% of everyone ever named Shun was born in this single decade.
41 babies were named Shun in 1980 - its busiest year on record.
Shun's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Shun's full recorded timeline at 1993, 38% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 62% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1925, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1980 peak of 41 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Shun at a glance
Last recorded 2023Peak year
Current rank
Active since
Shun popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1925–2023
- Peak year (1980)
- 41
- Annual births at peak, across 99 years of records
No longer in the modern top-1000, last recorded 2023.
909 total births across 99 years of SSA records. Peaked in 1980 with 41 births in a single year.
Shun popularity over time - girls
30 total births recorded since 1969 (Shun as girls' name)
Unisex use remains the minority pattern
The girls' variant of Shun accounts for 3% of total recorded use across both genders.
Shun by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Shun's strongest decade.
280 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Shun births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 5
1920s
5 births
- 1960s 59
1960s
59 births
- 1970s
1970s
280 births
- 1980s
1980s
184 births
- 1990s
1990s
137 births
- 2000s
2000s
132 births
- 2010s 92
2010s
92 births
- 2020s 20
2020s
20 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 280 births (31% of all-time use).
Shun decade highlights
- Peak decade 280 births
- Runner-up 184 births
- Modern era share 2010s + 2020s
- Decades tracked with recorded births
How Shun 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 Shun's total volume
Shun vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Shun by state
Where Shun concentrates geographically, total births since 1925
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Illinois | | 17 | 1.9% |
| #2 | Tennessee | | 17 | 1.9% |
| #3 | Texas | | 12 | 1.3% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 10 | 1.1% |
| #5 | Mississippi | | 10 | 1.1% |
| #6 | California | | 6 | 0.7% |
| #7 | Louisiana | | 6 | 0.7% |
17 of 909 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 7 reporting states.
Top 5 states
- Illinois 1.9% of nationwide
- Tennessee 1.9% of nationwide
- Texas 1.3% of nationwide
- Georgia 1.1% of nationwide
- Mississippi 1.1% of nationwide
Recorded in 7 of 51 SSA jurisdictions
Illinois accounts for 1.9% of all recorded births nationwide - a relatively diffuse profile for this name.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Shun's data
- Shun's decade-level peak was the 1970s (280 total births); usage has since declined to 20 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Illinois records the most Shuns (17 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Illinois 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 Shun
Nearby Names Like Shun
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shun
Compare Shun side by side: Shun vs Shulem Shun vs Shubh Shun vs Shuaib
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1925–2023 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Shun: Baby Name Since 1925 - 909 Births, Peak 1980." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/shun. 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 Shun 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.
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NameAlmanac Editorial
Independent public-data reference that compiles, verifies, and contextualizes official datasets. We do not accept compensation from entities we cover, and every dataset cites its originating public source.