boys' name ★ peaked 2024

Shiv

Meaning the auspicious one Gender Boy Rank 2025 #1,766 Trend ↑ Rising 38%

Variant of Shiva, from Sanskrit शिव (Śivá, “the auspicious one”).

Rank 2025
#1,766
among boys · ↑27 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
92
named Shiv
How common
1 in 18,566
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2024
92 babies
All-time total
2,193
#3,110 all-time among boys
First recorded
1984
in Social Security records

Shiv popularity over time

2,193 babies have been named Shiv since 1984, 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
0.020.040.060.0818801900192019401960198020002020Peak 2025Boys

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 Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – –
1890s – – – –
1900s – – – –
1910s – – – –
1920s – – – –
1930s – – – –
1940s – – – –
1950s – – – –
1960s – – – –
1970s – – – –
1980s 51 5 – #3,247
1990s 291 29 +471% #2,018
2000s 627 63 +115% #1,845
2010s 719 72 +15% #1,749
2020s (to 2025) 505 84 +17% #1,766

Where Shiv 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 97 0.06 outside top 500
2027 102 0.06 outside top 500
2028 106 0.06 outside top 500
2029 109 0.06 outside top 500
2030 113 0.07 outside top 500

Where Shiv is most popular

Boys named Shiv per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.050 per 1,000. Strongest in New Jersey, Illinois, and California.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Shiv born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
New Jersey 43 0.214 +327%
Illinois 27 0.106 +111%
California 68 0.074 +49%
New York 27 0.062 +25%
Georgia 15 0.059 +18%
Texas 41 0.047 -7%
North Carolina 11 0.043 -14%
Florida 12 0.025 -49%
Pennsylvania 5 0.019 -62%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Arizona – – –
Colorado – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Indiana – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Louisiana – – –
Massachusetts – – –
Maryland – – –
Maine – – –
Michigan – – –
Minnesota – – –
Missouri – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Ohio – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Tennessee – – –
Utah – – –
Virginia – – –
Vermont – – –
Washington – – –
Wisconsin – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Shiv

Shiv is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #1,766 in 2025 with 92 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1984, 2,193 American babies have been named Shiv. Its peak came in 2024, when 92 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

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

How old are people named Shiv?

The median living Shiv is about 13 years old; half are between 6 and 22. An estimated 2,200 people named Shiv are alive in the United States today.

median 13 020406080100

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

Shiv year by year

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

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 92 #1,766
2024 92 #1,793
2023 91 #1,784
2022 88 #1,835
2021 69 #2,106
2020 73 #1,976
2019 64 #2,210
2018 69 #2,078
2017 78 #1,881
2016 82 #1,842
2015 73 #1,998
2014 87 #1,749
2013 70 #1,986
2012 68 #2,044
2011 61 #2,168
2010 67 #2,052
2009 69 #2,029
2008 71 #1,999
2007 79 #1,845
2006 69 #1,965
2005 58 #2,126
2004 64 #1,930
2003 58 #2,000
2002 59 #1,913
2001 49 #2,143
2000 51 #2,011
1995 33 #2,393
1990 9 #5,742
1985 5 #7,432
1980 – –
1975 – –
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 Shiv, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Shiv?

The median living Shiv is about 13 years old. Half of all living Shivs are between 6 and 22 years old.

How many people named Shiv are alive today?

An estimated 2,200 people named Shiv are alive in the United States, based on 2,193 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Shiv mean?

Variant of Shiva, from Sanskrit शिव (Śivá, “the auspicious one”).

How popular is the name Shiv in 2025?

Shiv ranked #1,766 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 92 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Shiv?

2,193 babies have been named Shiv in the United States since 1984, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Shiv most popular?

Shiv peaked in 2024, when 92 newborns received the name.

Is Shiv a boy or girl name?

Shiv is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Shiv rising or falling?

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

Will Shiv become more popular?

Shiv is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 113 boys named Shiv in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Shiv

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

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