Boy · #7,971 in 2026

Shaft

Name: Popularity of the name Shaft in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Shaft, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Current Rank

#7,971

Peak Rank

#1,509 (1972)

Total Babies

103

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1971

First Year

1996

Last Year

1972

Peak Year

#1509

Peak Rank

103

Total Count

Years Active

The Story of Shaft

The earliest SSA record of Shaft as a baby boy name dates back to 1971, when 22 babies received it. 1972 was its biggest year on record, with 32 newborns named Shaft — #1,509 in the national rankings. The 1970s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 83% of all recorded Shafts. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 1996 (6 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 103 Shafts have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Shaft

Phonetically similar names — useful when Shaft is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Shift
Chaffed
Shat
Shafts
Shatt
Shaf
Shafe
Shaff
Shafter
Shafi
Schaff
Schadt

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Shaft

What does the name Shaft mean?

Shaft is a boy's name that has been used in U.S. records since 1971. Behind the Name doesn't list a specific etymology, but the name has remained in use across multiple decades.

How popular is Shaft in 2026?

In 2026, Shaft ranks #7,971 among boys' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.

When was Shaft most popular?

Shaft reached its peak popularity in 1972, ranking #1,509 that year with 32 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Shaft most popular?

Shaft has historically been most popular in North Carolina, Louisiana, Texas. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Shaft.

Is Shaft a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Shaft is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Shaft?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Shaft include Rutherford, Simpson, Obert. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Shaft

Shaft is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1971 and has accumulated 103 births in the dataset. Shaft's peak popularity came in 1972 when it ranked #1,509. Use the chart and map above to compare Shaft's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.