Boy · #3,212 in 2026

Shafter

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

Current Rank

#3,212

Peak Rank

#573 (1898)

Total Babies

119

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1898

First Year

1942

Last Year

1898

Peak Year

#573

Peak Rank

119

Total Count

Years Active

The Story of Shafter

Shafter first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1898, with 14 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1898, when 14 Shafters were born — ranking #573 that year. As of 2026, Shafter ranks #3,212 for baby boys with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 119 Shafters have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1890s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Shafter

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

Shifter
Shatter
Shaft
Laughter
Rafter
Hafter
Chauffeur
Chauffer
Shafts
Shaffer
Shafer
Schaefer

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Shafter

What does the name Shafter mean?

Shafter is a boy's name that has been used in U.S. records since 1898. Behind the Name doesn't list a specific etymology, but the name has remained in use across multiple decades.

How popular is Shafter in 2026?

In 2026, Shafter ranks #3,212 among boys' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.

When was Shafter most popular?

Shafter reached its peak popularity in 1898, ranking #573 that year with 14 babies given the name.

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

Shafter has historically been most popular in Kentucky. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Shafter.

Is Shafter a unisex name?

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

What names go well with Shafter?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Shafter include Worth, Lindbergh, Eldred. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Shafter

Shafter is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1898 and has accumulated 119 births in the dataset. Shafter's peak popularity came in 1898 when it ranked #573. Use the chart and map above to compare Shafter'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.