Shaw
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- SHAW
- Origin
- English
- US rank, 2025
- #4,706 for boys
Shaw is a boys' name of English origin, meaning “small wood, thicket”. In 2025 it ranked 4,706th for boys in the US (21 babies).
What does Shaw mean?
English: surname from Old English sceaga
“small wood, thicket”
English surname for someone living by a small wood; borne by playwright George Bernard Shaw.
Is Shaw a girl's or a boy's name?
Shaw is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 6 girls and 21 boys in the US.
How popular is Shaw in the UK?
No boys in the UK were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 1996, with 10 boys.
Half of all the boys named Shaw in the UK since 1996 were born between 1998 and 2012. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Shaw in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 3 | #5,198 |
| 2023 | 0 | – |
| 2022 | 1 | #6,413 |
| 2021 | 3 | #4,989 |
| 2020 | 5 | #3,502 |
| 2019 | 1 | #6,258 |
| 2018 | 0 | – |
| 2017 | 5 | #3,608 |
| 2016 | 0 | – |
| 2015 | 1 | #6,220 |
| 2014 | 0 | – |
| 2013 | 2 | #6,127 |
| 2012 | 2 | #6,266 |
| 2011 | 1 | #6,218 |
| 2010 | 0 | – |
| 2009 | 2 | #5,967 |
| 2008 | 1 | #5,936 |
| 2007 | 1 | #5,736 |
| 2006 | 2 | #5,314 |
| 2005 | 5 | #2,885 |
| 2004 | 3 | #3,792 |
| 2003 | 2 | #4,575 |
| 2002 | 9 | #1,594 |
| 2001 | 5 | #2,326 |
| 2000 | 5 | #2,237 |
| 1999 | 1 | #3,925 |
| 1998 | 8 | #1,569 |
| 1997 | 6 | #1,853 |
| 1996 | 10 | #1,290 |
How popular is Shaw in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- 4,706th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 21 about 1 in 81,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Falling down 29% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 21 boys in the US were named Shaw, making it the 4,706th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,979th. Its busiest year was 2020, with 39 boys. It first appears in the records in 1914. 6 girls were also named Shaw in 2025 (13,203rd for girls).
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 3 years. 2025 had fewer boys named Shaw than any year since 2010.
Half of all the boys named Shaw in the US since 1880 were born between 1981 and 2014, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2024, 17% of the babies named Shaw in the US were girls.
Shaw in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 21 | #4,706 |
| 2024 | 25 | #4,197 |
| 2023 | 26 | #4,109 |
| 2022 | 34 | #3,410 |
| 2021 | 32 | #3,494 |
| 2020 | 39 | #2,979 |
| 2019 | 31 | #3,568 |
| 2018 | 31 | #3,520 |
| 2017 | 28 | #3,777 |
| 2016 | 33 | #3,357 |
| 2015 | 31 | #3,512 |
| 2014 | 25 | #4,011 |
| 2013 | 29 | #3,580 |
| 2012 | 36 | #3,113 |
| 2011 | 25 | #3,992 |
| 2010 | 15 | #5,737 |
| 2009 | 18 | #5,100 |
| 2008 | 19 | #4,897 |
| 2007 | 25 | #4,009 |
| 2006 | 31 | #3,382 |
| 2005 | 14 | #5,572 |
| 2004 | 15 | #5,241 |
| 2003 | 13 | #5,551 |
| 2002 | 23 | #3,665 |
| 2001 | 25 | #3,405 |
| 2000 | 22 | #3,634 |
| 1999 | 14 | #4,756 |
| 1998 | 20 | #3,593 |
| 1997 | 24 | #3,059 |
| 1996 | 18 | #3,672 |
| 1995 | 19 | #3,426 |
| 1994 | 18 | #3,590 |
| 1993 | 18 | #3,495 |
| 1992 | 23 | #2,903 |
| 1991 | 13 | #4,223 |
| 1990 | 19 | #3,160 |
| 1989 | 19 | #3,088 |
| 1988 | 15 | #3,345 |
| 1987 | 23 | #2,396 |
| 1986 | 25 | #2,224 |
| 1985 | 22 | #2,356 |
| 1984 | 9 | #4,212 |
| 1983 | 19 | #2,492 |
| 1982 | 18 | #2,595 |
| 1981 | 19 | #2,495 |
| 1980 | 10 | #3,837 |
| 1979 | 19 | #2,464 |
| 1978 | 23 | #2,068 |
| 1977 | 12 | #3,201 |
| 1976 | 18 | #2,416 |
| 1975 | 23 | #2,000 |
| 1974 | 28 | #1,692 |
| 1973 | 18 | #2,214 |
| 1972 | 20 | #2,020 |
| 1971 | 16 | #2,365 |
| 1970 | 18 | #2,124 |
| 1969 | 13 | #2,414 |
| 1968 | 10 | #2,734 |
| 1967 | 8 | #2,984 |
| 1966 | 8 | #2,985 |
| 1965 | 8 | #2,980 |
| 1964 | 6 | #3,600 |
| 1963 | 5 | #4,047 |
| 1962 | 5 | #4,031 |
| 1961 | 0 | – |
| 1960 | 8 | #3,075 |
| 1959 | 6 | #3,618 |
| 1958 | 5 | #3,942 |
| 1957 | 0 | – |
| 1956 | 0 | – |
| 1955 | 0 | – |
| 1954 | 5 | #3,825 |
| 1953 | 0 | – |
| 1952 | 0 | – |
| 1951 | 0 | – |
| 1950 | 0 | – |
| 1949 | 0 | – |
| 1948 | 0 | – |
| 1947 | 0 | – |
| 1946 | 0 | – |
| 1945 | 0 | – |
| 1944 | 0 | – |
| 1943 | 0 | – |
| 1942 | 0 | – |
| 1941 | 0 | – |
| 1940 | 0 | – |
| 1939 | 5 | #3,479 |
| 1938 | 0 | – |
| 1937 | 0 | – |
| 1936 | 0 | – |
| 1935 | 0 | – |
| 1934 | 0 | – |
| 1933 | 0 | – |
| 1932 | 0 | – |
| 1931 | 0 | – |
| 1930 | 0 | – |
| 1929 | 0 | – |
| 1928 | 0 | – |
| 1927 | 0 | – |
| 1926 | 0 | – |
| 1925 | 0 | – |
| 1924 | 0 | – |
| 1923 | 0 | – |
| 1922 | 7 | #3,530 |
| 1921 | 0 | – |
| 1920 | 5 | #4,284 |
| 1919 | 0 | – |
| 1918 | 0 | – |
| 1917 | 0 | – |
| 1916 | 0 | – |
| 1915 | 0 | – |
| 1914 | 6 | #2,914 |
Names like Shaw
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Muhammad, Hamza, Shay, Saif, Musa, Ahmed, Hassan, Ibrahim, Syed, Amir, Zayd, Yahya
Names related to Shaw
More English names
Lily, Evelyn, Hudson, Ivy, Harper, Grace, Violet, Willow, Daisy, Poppy, Riley, Oakley, Mason, Cooper, Ruby, Hallie
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Shaw: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/shaw, updated 20 October 2026.