Shem
Boy · Hebrew
Shem is a boys' name of Hebrew origin. In 2025 it ranked 7,675th for boys in the US (10 babies).
What does Shem mean?
Hebrew
A male given name from Hebrew of biblical origin.
From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Is Shem a girl's or a boy's name?
Shem is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 10 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Shem in the UK?
No boys in the UK were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 1998, with 10 boys.
Half of all the boys named Shem in the UK since 1996 were born between 2002 and 2014. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Shem in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 3 | #5,193 |
| 2022 | 3 | #5,017 |
| 2021 | 0 | – |
| 2020 | 0 | – |
| 2019 | 0 | – |
| 2018 | 3 | #4,959 |
| 2017 | 3 | #4,995 |
| 2016 | 3 | #5,015 |
| 2015 | 9 | #2,425 |
| 2014 | 4 | #4,063 |
| 2013 | 0 | – |
| 2012 | 0 | – |
| 2011 | 4 | #3,986 |
| 2010 | 3 | #4,865 |
| 2009 | 3 | #4,691 |
| 2008 | 3 | #4,615 |
| 2007 | 8 | #2,337 |
| 2006 | 5 | #3,013 |
| 2005 | 4 | #3,330 |
| 2004 | 4 | #3,147 |
| 2003 | 6 | #2,283 |
| 2002 | 5 | #2,358 |
| 2001 | 0 | – |
| 2000 | 4 | #2,612 |
| 1999 | 1 | #3,925 |
| 1998 | 10 | #1,346 |
| 1997 | 5 | #2,109 |
| 1996 | 4 | #2,442 |
How popular is Shem in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #7,675among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 10about 1 in 170,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 22% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 10 boys in the US were named Shem, making it the 7,675th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 6,616th. Its busiest year was 1976, with 23 boys. It first appears in the records in 1954.
2025 had fewer boys named Shem than any year since 2012.
Half of all the boys named Shem in the US since 1880 were born between 1979 and 2012, the years shaded on the chart below.
Shem in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 10 | #7,675 |
| 2024 | 13 | #6,464 |
| 2023 | 12 | #6,892 |
| 2022 | 17 | #5,441 |
| 2021 | 13 | #6,330 |
| 2020 | 12 | #6,616 |
| 2019 | 16 | #5,551 |
| 2018 | 17 | #5,316 |
| 2017 | 16 | #5,522 |
| 2016 | 11 | #7,152 |
| 2015 | 17 | #5,285 |
| 2014 | 16 | #5,481 |
| 2013 | 16 | #5,400 |
| 2012 | 7 | #9,703 |
| 2011 | 7 | #9,593 |
| 2010 | 7 | #9,686 |
| 2009 | 10 | #7,687 |
| 2008 | 8 | #9,013 |
| 2007 | 13 | #6,259 |
| 2006 | 14 | #5,777 |
| 2005 | 15 | #5,273 |
| 2004 | 12 | #6,132 |
| 2003 | 11 | #6,251 |
| 2002 | 10 | #6,515 |
| 2001 | 6 | #9,236 |
| 2000 | 14 | #5,034 |
| 1999 | 12 | #5,311 |
| 1998 | 11 | #5,460 |
| 1997 | 6 | #8,104 |
| 1996 | 8 | #6,489 |
| 1995 | 13 | #4,502 |
| 1994 | 9 | #5,862 |
| 1993 | 10 | #5,353 |
| 1992 | 13 | #4,319 |
| 1991 | 16 | #3,629 |
| 1990 | 12 | #4,401 |
| 1989 | 6 | #6,934 |
| 1988 | 15 | #3,345 |
| 1987 | 14 | #3,334 |
| 1986 | 10 | #4,126 |
| 1985 | 8 | #4,693 |
| 1984 | 10 | #3,922 |
| 1983 | 15 | #2,911 |
| 1982 | 17 | #2,708 |
| 1981 | 18 | #2,568 |
| 1980 | 10 | #3,837 |
| 1979 | 14 | #3,017 |
| 1978 | 23 | #2,068 |
| 1977 | 21 | #2,202 |
| 1976 | 23 | #2,053 |
| 1975 | 13 | #2,900 |
| 1974 | 12 | #2,944 |
| 1973 | 16 | #2,403 |
| 1972 | 17 | #2,243 |
| 1971 | 9 | #3,368 |
| 1970 | 8 | #3,519 |
| 1969 | 8 | #3,313 |
| 1968 | 9 | #2,906 |
| 1967 | 0 | – |
| 1966 | 7 | #3,247 |
| 1965 | 6 | #3,535 |
| 1964 | 0 | – |
| 1963 | 0 | – |
| 1962 | 0 | – |
| 1961 | 0 | – |
| 1960 | 6 | #3,663 |
| 1959 | 0 | – |
| 1958 | 0 | – |
| 1957 | 0 | – |
| 1956 | 0 | – |
| 1955 | 0 | – |
| 1954 | 5 | #3,825 |
Names like Shem
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Ibrahim Musa Muhammad Ahmed Saif Hamza Abdullah Mustafa Zayd Salem Raheem Umar
Names related to Shem
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