Boy · #5,991 in 2026

Shah

Shāh is a royal title meaning 'king' in Persian. Though chiefly associated with the monarchs of Iran, it was also used to refer to the leaders of numerous Persianate societies, such as the Ottoman Empire, the Khanate of Bukhara and the Emirate of Bukhara, the Mughal Empire, the Bengal Sultanate, and various Afghan dynasties, as well as among Gurkhas.

Current Rank
#5,991
Peak Rank
#3,605 (2009)
Total Babies
447
5-Yr Trend
+28%
1979
First Year
2015
Last Year
1979
Peak Year
#10208
Peak Rank
10
Total Count
2
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Shah

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Shāh is a royal title meaning 'king' in Persian. Though chiefly associated with the monarchs of Iran, it was also used to refer to the leaders of numerous Persianate societies, such as the Ottoman Empire, the Khanate of Bukhara and the Emirate of Bukhara, the Mughal Empire, the Bengal Sultanate, and various Afghan dynasties, as well as among Gurkhas.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology
The word descends from Old Persian xšāyaθiya 'king', which used to be considered a borrowing from Median as it was compared to Avestan xšaθra- , 'power' and 'command', corresponding to Sanskrit kṣatra- (same meaning), from which kṣatriya - , 'warrior', is derived. Most recently, the form xšāyaθiya has been analyzed as a genuine, inherited Persian formation with the meaning 'pertaining to reigning, ruling'. This formation with the 'origin' suffix -iya is derived from a deverbal abstract noun * xšāy-aθa- 'rule, ruling, Herrschaft ' , from the (Old Persian) verb xšāy- 'to rule, reign'. The full,

The Story of Shah

Shah first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1972, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2009, when 22 Shahs were born — ranking #4,428 that year. As of 2026, Shah ranks #5,991 for baby boys with 15 births, rising sharply (+28% over the past five years). In total, more than 447 Shahs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Shah

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

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Shah

What does the name Shah mean?
Shāh is a royal title meaning 'king' in Persian. Though chiefly associated with the monarchs of Iran, it was also used to refer to the leaders of numerous Persianate societies, such as the Ottoman Empire, the Khanate of Bukhara and the Emirate of Bukhara, the Mughal Empire, the Bengal Sultanate, and various Afghan dynasties, as well as among Gurkhas.
How popular is Shah in 2026?
In 2026, Shah ranks #5,991 among boys' names in the U.S., with 15 babies given the name that year.
When was Shah most popular?
Shah reached its peak popularity in 2009, ranking #3,605 that year with 22 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Shah most popular?
Shah has historically been most popular in Michigan, New York. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Shah.
Is Shah a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Shah is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Shah?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Shah include Carnel, Lavan, Nic. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

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About the name Shah

Shah is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1972 and has accumulated 447 births in the dataset. Shah's peak popularity came in 2009 when it ranked #3,605. Use the chart and map above to compare Shah'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.