Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 1993

Shade

Gender Unisex · 43% girls Rank 2025 #7,595
Rank 2025
#7,595
among boys · ↓1,978 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
17
named Shade · -23% vs 2024
How common
1 in 155,280
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1993
88 babies
All-time total
2,025
#4,695 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Shade popularity over time

2,025 babies have been named Shade since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.030.050.080.118801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 28 28 3 – #737
1890s – 18 18 2 -36% #943
1900s – 6 6 1 -67% #1,321
1910s – 72 72 7 +1100% #1,560
1920s – 66 66 7 -8% #2,138
1930s – 48 48 5 -27% #2,762
1940s – 28 28 3 -42% #3,283
1950s – 13 13 1 -54% #3,069
1960s – 31 31 3 +138% #3,064
1970s 11 45 56 6 +81% #4,111
1980s 226 84 310 31 +454% #3,049
1990s 400 224 624 62 +101% #2,495
2000s 176 208 384 38 -38% #3,775
2010s 39 191 230 23 -40% #3,988
2020s (to 2025) 17 94 111 19 -20% #5,082

The story of Shade

Shade is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #7,595 in 2025 with 11 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 2,025 American babies have been named Shade, about 57% boys and 43% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1993, when 88 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1990s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Shade stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Shade?

The median living Shade is about 28 years old; half are between 18 and 35. An estimated 1,700 people named Shade are alive in the United States today.

median 28 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Shade year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 6 #14,675 11 #7,595
2024 5 #17,310 17 #5,617
2023 – – 19 #5,217
2022 – – 14 #6,420
2021 – – 19 #5,082
2020 6 #14,846 14 #6,235
2019 5 #17,600 19 #5,123
2018 5 #17,744 20 #4,894
2017 – – 20 #4,908
2016 – – 14 #6,296
2015 5 #18,701 22 #4,525
2014 – – 12 #6,988
2013 – – 19 #4,946
2012 5 #19,113 26 #3,988
2011 9 #12,000 18 #5,162
2010 10 #11,123 21 #4,650
2009 7 #14,985 18 #5,275
2008 12 #9,980 26 #4,016
2007 10 #11,496 28 #3,775
2006 9 #12,261 24 #4,081
2005 19 #6,495 21 #4,306
2004 8 #12,558 15 #5,444
2003 23 #5,383 20 #4,253
2002 21 #5,640 17 #4,670
2001 32 #4,016 18 #4,437
2000 35 #3,717 21 #3,892
1995 36 #3,206 25 #2,909
1990 35 #3,212 11 #4,937
1985 33 #2,847 6 #6,404
1980 – – 6 #6,120
1975 – – 8 #4,247
1970 – – – –
1965 – – – –
1960 – – – –
1955 – – – –
1950 – – 5 #4,124
1945 – – 6 #3,283
1940 – – 5 #3,869
1935 – – 5 #4,078
1930 – – 10 #2,762
1925 – – 9 #3,119
1920 – – 5 #4,877
1915 – – 12 #2,284
1910 – – 6 #1,560
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – 5 #1,138
1885 – – 7 #825
1880 – – 8 #737

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Shade, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Shade?

The median living Shade is about 28 years old. Half of all living Shades are between 18 and 35 years old.

How many people named Shade are alive today?

An estimated 1,700 people named Shade are alive in the United States, based on 2,025 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Shade in 2025?

Shade ranked #7,595 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 11 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Shade?

2,025 babies have been named Shade in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Shade most popular?

Shade peaked in 1993, when 88 newborns received the name.

Is Shade a boy or girl name?

Shade is used for both: about 43% of babies named Shade have been girls and 57% boys.

Is the name Shade rising or falling?

Shade has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Names like Shade

Names that sound and feel close to Shade: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Shade with similar names → More names starting with S →