Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1990

Sho

Meaning Shō, Sho or Shou is a masculine Japanese given name Gender Boy Rank 2025 #9,582

Shō, Sho or Shou is a masculine Japanese given name.

Rank 2025
#9,582
among boys · ↓703 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
8
named Sho
How common
1 in 213,510
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1990
20 babies
All-time total
461
#8,272 all-time among boys
First recorded
1923
in Social Security records

Sho popularity over time

461 babies have been named Sho since 1923, 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
00.010.010.0218801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1990Boys

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 8 1 – #3,425
1930s – – – –
1940s – – – –
1950s – – – –
1960s – – – –
1970s – – – –
1980s 55 6 – #3,310
1990s 129 13 +135% #3,150
2000s 111 11 -14% #4,876
2010s 112 11 +1% #5,677
2020s (to 2025) 46 8 -32% #8,074

The story of Sho

Sho is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #9,582 in 2025 with 8 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1923, 461 American babies have been named Sho. Its peak came in 1990, when 20 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 Sho stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Sho?

The median living Sho is about 23 years old; half are between 11 and 32. An estimated 400 people named Sho are alive in the United States today.

median 23 020406080100

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

Sho year by year

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

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 8 #9,582
2024 9 #8,879
2023 10 #8,170
2022 9 #8,876
2021 10 #8,074
2020 – –
2019 12 #7,109
2018 12 #7,059
2017 7 #10,600
2016 9 #8,702
2015 13 #6,622
2014 16 #5,677
2013 9 #8,660
2012 11 #7,469
2011 8 #9,468
2010 15 #5,994
2009 16 #5,765
2008 10 #8,212
2007 8 #9,637
2006 7 #10,495
2005 5 #13,058
2004 6 #11,146
2003 14 #5,502
2002 16 #4,876
2001 14 #5,354
2000 15 #5,004
1995 11 #5,452
1990 20 #3,150
1985 5 #7,433
1980 – –
1975 – –
1970 – –
1965 – –
1960 – –
1955 – –
1950 – –
1945 – –
1940 – –
1935 – –
1930 – –
1925 – –
1920 – –
1915 – –
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Sho

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Sho Kosugi Sho Kosugi Japanese actor (born 1948) Contemporary
  2. 2 Sho Sakurai Sho Sakurai Japanese singer, songwriter, rapper (born 1982) Contemporary
  3. 3 Sho Sasaki Japanese footballer b. 1989 · Contemporary
  4. 4 Sho Inagaki Japanese footballer (born 1991) Contemporary
  5. 5 Sho Matsumoto Japanese footballer (born 1992) Contemporary
  6. 6 Sho Shimoji Sho Shimoji Japanese footballer b. 1985 · Contemporary
  7. 7 Sho Araki Japanese footballer b. 1995 · Contemporary
  8. 8 Sho Sato Japanese footballer b. 1993 · Contemporary
  9. 9 Sho Gokyu Japanese footballer b. 1983 · Contemporary
  10. 10 Sho Naruoka Japanese footballer b. 1984 · Contemporary
  11. 11 Sho Otsuka Japanese footballer b. 1995 · Contemporary
  12. 12 Sho Hanai Japanese footballer b. 1989 · Contemporary
  13. 13 Sho Tanaka Japanese footballer b. 1994 · Contemporary
  14. 14 Sho Asuke Japanese footballer b. 1985 · Contemporary
  15. 15 Sho Murata Japanese footballer b. 1987 · Contemporary
  16. 16 Sho Aota Japanese footballer b. 1986 · Contemporary
  17. 17 Sho Kamogawa Soccer player, Japan b. 1983 · Contemporary
  18. 18 Sho Kamimura Soccer player, Japan b. 1989 · Contemporary
  19. 19 Sho Iwamoto Soccer player, Japan b. 2001 · Contemporary
  20. 20 Sho Kitano Soccer player, Japan b. 1984 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Sho?

The median living Sho is about 23 years old. Half of all living Shos are between 11 and 32 years old.

How many people named Sho are alive today?

An estimated 400 people named Sho are alive in the United States, based on 461 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Sho mean?

Shō, Sho or Shou is a masculine Japanese given name.

How popular is the name Sho in 2025?

Sho ranked #9,582 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 8 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Sho?

461 babies have been named Sho in the United States since 1923, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Sho most popular?

Sho peaked in 1990, when 20 newborns received the name.

Is Sho a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Sho rising or falling?

Sho is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Who are famous people named Sho?

Well-known people named Sho include Sho Kosugi (actor), Sho Sakurai (singer), Sho Sasaki (soccer player).

Names like Sho

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

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