Is Shem a boy or girl name?

Shem is a boy’s name. Of the 755 Americans recorded with the name since 1880, 0.7% were girls and 99.3% were boys.

Shem

Recorded 1954–2025 · United States

Shem was most popular in 1976, when 23 American babies were given the name — ranking #4,909 that year. In 2025 it ranked #16,070, with 10 births. Across 1880–2025 the Social Security Administration has recorded 755 people named Shem.

Shem over time

Births per year. The dot marks Shem’s peak in 1976. Gaps are years the SSA suppressed, which it does for any name given to fewer than five babies.

Is Shem a boy’s or a girl’s name?

Across the whole record Shem is a boy’s name — 0.7% of the 755 Americans given it were girls and 99.3% were boys. In births since 2016 it is 0% girls and 100% boys.

Counted from every US birth the Social Security Administration recorded under this name, so it reflects use rather than opinion. A name given to fewer than five babies of one sex in a year is withheld at source and is not counted.

Names that peaked alongside Shem

Explore further

See Shem on the interactive charts

Source: U.S.A. Social Security Administration. Years 1880–2025. namelegacy.org