Shale
Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock formed from mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g., kaolin, Al2Si2O5(OH)4) and tiny fragments (silt-sized particles) of other minerals, especially quartz and calcite. Shale is characterized by its tendency to split into thin layers (laminae) less than one centimeter in thickness.
Meaning & Origin of Shale
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock formed from mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g., kaolin, Al2Si2O5(OH)4) and tiny fragments (silt-sized particles) of other minerals, especially quartz and calcite. Shale is characterized by its tendency to split into thin layers (laminae) less than one centimeter in thickness.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Shale
As a girl name
Shale first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1994, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1996, when 6 Shales were born — ranking #11,807 that year. As of 2026, Shale ranks #17,634 for girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 21 Shales have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Shale first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1972, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1999, when 9 Shales were born — ranking #6,529 that year. As of 2026, Shale ranks #10,895 for boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 56 Shales have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Shale
Phonetically similar names — useful when Shale 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 Shale
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About the name Shale
Shale is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1972 and has accumulated 56 births in the dataset. Shale's peak popularity came in 1999 when it ranked #6,529. Use the chart and map above to compare Shale's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1999 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "S" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.