Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2016

Shaw

Gender Boy · 4% girls Rank 2025 #4,836 Trend ↓ Falling 26%

Shaw is primarily a surname of English or Chinese origin, rarely used as a given name.

Rank 2025
#4,836
among boys · ↓532 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
27
named Shaw · -10% vs 2024
How common
1 in 81,337
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2016
39 babies
All-time total
1,398
#4,268 all-time among boys
First recorded
1914
in Social Security records

Shaw popularity over time

1,398 babies have been named Shaw since 1914, 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
0.010.010.020.0318801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – 6 6 1 – #3,215
1920s – 12 12 1 +100% #3,817
1930s – 5 5 1 -58% #3,912
1940s – – – – – –
1950s – 16 16 2 – #3,931
1960s 5 71 76 8 +375% #2,530
1970s 15 195 210 21 +176% #1,742
1980s – 179 179 18 -15% #2,277
1990s – 186 186 19 +4% #2,986
2000s 6 205 211 21 +13% #3,440
2010s 25 284 309 31 +46% #3,163
2020s (to 2025) 11 177 188 31 +1% #3,022

Where Shaw is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 20 0.01 outside top 500
2027 19 0.01 outside top 500
2028 19 0.01 outside top 500
2029 18 0.01 outside top 500
2030 18 0.01 outside top 500

The story of Shaw

Shaw is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #4,836 in 2025 with 21 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1914, 1,398 American babies have been named Shaw. Its peak came in 2016, when 39 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2010s.

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 Shaw stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Shaw?

The median living Shaw is about 24 years old; half are between 10 and 42. An estimated 1,300 people named Shaw are alive in the United States today.

median 24 020406080100

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

Shaw 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 #14,682 21 #4,836
2024 5 #17,320 25 #4,304
2023 – – 26 #4,198
2022 – – 34 #3,453
2021 – – 32 #3,567
2020 – – 39 #3,022
2019 5 #17,625 31 #3,623
2018 – – 31 #3,593
2017 – – 28 #3,874
2016 6 #15,957 33 #3,425
2015 5 #18,729 31 #3,578
2014 9 #11,811 25 #4,111
2013 – – 29 #3,647
2012 – – 36 #3,163
2011 – – 25 #4,086
2010 – – 15 #5,992
2009 – – 18 #5,278
2008 – – 19 #5,035
2007 – – 25 #4,101
2006 – – 31 #3,440
2005 6 #16,135 14 #5,832
2004 – – 15 #5,448
2003 – – 13 #5,831
2002 – – 23 #3,764
2001 – – 25 #3,494
2000 – – 22 #3,739
1995 – – 19 #3,534
1990 – – 19 #3,289
1985 – – 22 #2,417
1980 – – 10 #4,087
1975 – – 23 #2,054
1970 – – 18 #2,202
1965 – – 8 #3,210
1960 – – 8 #3,298
1955 – – – –
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – 5 #4,879
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Shaw?

The median living Shaw is about 24 years old. Half of all living Shaws are between 10 and 42 years old.

How many people named Shaw are alive today?

An estimated 1,300 people named Shaw are alive in the United States, based on 1,398 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Shaw mean?

Shaw is primarily a surname of English or Chinese origin, rarely used as a given name.

How popular is the name Shaw in 2025?

Shaw ranked #4,836 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 21 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Shaw?

1,398 babies have been named Shaw in the United States since 1914, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Shaw most popular?

Shaw peaked in 2016, when 39 newborns received the name.

Is Shaw a boy or girl name?

Shaw is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 96% of babies with the name.

Is the name Shaw rising or falling?

Shaw has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Shaw become more popular?

Shaw is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 18 boys named Shaw in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Shaw

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

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