Names / Boy names
Shem
Current rank
#8,147
holding steady
All-time peak
#2,103
in 1976
First recorded
1954
in U.S. data
Children named
755
since 1954
Popularity over time
Annual U.S. children given the name · Peak #2,103 in 1976 · Source: Social Security Administration
Meaning & background
Name or renown. The name first shows up in U.S. records in 1954. These days it lands below the top 1,000, so it still feels distinctive. Roughly 755 people have been given the name to date — a true rarity.