Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 1993

Shadow

Gender Unisex · 44% girls Rank 2025 #6,091
Rank 2025
#6,091
among boys · ↑329 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
15
named Shadow · -25% vs 2024
How common
1 in 113,872
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1993
58 babies
All-time total
1,104
#6,969 all-time among boys
First recorded
1974
in Social Security records

Shadow popularity over time

1,104 babies have been named Shadow since 1974, 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
0.010.010.020.0218801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – – – – – –
1920s – – – – – –
1930s – – – – – –
1940s – – – – – –
1950s – – – – – –
1960s – – – – – –
1970s 23 – 23 2 – –
1980s 61 45 106 11 +361% #2,533
1990s 200 258 458 46 +332% #2,202
2000s 96 100 196 20 -57% #4,534
2010s 66 120 186 19 -5% #5,078
2020s (to 2025) 45 90 135 23 +21% #5,398

The story of Shadow

Shadow is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #6,091 in 2025 with 15 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1974, 1,104 American babies have been named Shadow, about 56% boys and 44% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1993, when 58 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 Shadow stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Shadow?

The median living Shadow is about 27 years old; half are between 12 and 32. An estimated 1,100 people named Shadow are alive in the United States today.

median 27 020406080100

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

Shadow 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 – – 15 #6,091
2024 6 #15,007 14 #6,420
2023 8 #12,033 12 #7,230
2022 13 #8,458 18 #5,398
2021 8 #12,038 17 #5,519
2020 10 #10,156 14 #6,236
2019 7 #13,597 15 #6,056
2018 8 #12,318 10 #8,059
2017 12 #9,263 19 #5,078
2016 8 #12,716 7 #10,557
2015 10 #10,753 11 #7,438
2014 6 #16,211 14 #6,258
2013 – – 14 #6,191
2012 – – 5 #13,884
2011 8 #13,172 18 #5,163
2010 7 #14,718 7 #10,572
2009 8 #13,491 8 #9,716
2008 11 #10,678 10 #8,204
2007 6 #17,262 10 #8,070
2006 7 #14,882 17 #5,268
2005 12 #9,359 8 #8,962
2004 14 #8,165 6 #11,127
2003 10 #10,307 8 #8,496
2002 6 #15,078 9 #7,533
2001 9 #10,865 7 #9,071
2000 13 #7,961 17 #4,534
1995 22 #4,653 27 #2,751
1990 19 #5,019 30 #2,363
1985 – – – –
1980 7 #8,888 – –
1975 6 #8,810 – –
1970 – – – –
1965 – – – –
1960 – – – –
1955 – – – –
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Shadow?

The median living Shadow is about 27 years old. Half of all living Shadows are between 12 and 32 years old.

How many people named Shadow are alive today?

An estimated 1,100 people named Shadow are alive in the United States, based on 1,104 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Shadow in 2025?

Shadow ranked #6,091 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 15 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Shadow?

1,104 babies have been named Shadow in the United States since 1974, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Shadow most popular?

Shadow peaked in 1993, when 58 newborns received the name.

Is Shadow a boy or girl name?

Shadow is used for both: about 44% of babies named Shadow have been girls and 56% boys.

Is the name Shadow rising or falling?

Shadow is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Names like Shadow

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

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