Sham
Sham is a name which is used as a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include:
Meaning & Origin of Sham
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Sham is a name which is used as a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Sham
As a girl name
American parents first put Sham on the record books as a girl name in 2001, with 6 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2018, when 33 Shams were born — ranking #4,237 that year. About 58% of every Sham on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Sham ranks #7,260 for girls with 15 births, falling sharply (-23%). All told, over 245 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 2000s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
Sham first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1972, with 6 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1974: 8 births, good for #3,837 nationwide. About 39% of every Sham on record arrived during the 1970s, its defining decade. Sham last appeared in the published SSA data in 2015, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 36 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1970s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Sham
Phonetically similar names — useful when Sham 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 Sham
What does the name Sham mean?
How popular is Sham in 2026?
When was Sham most popular?
In which U.S. states is Sham most popular?
Is Sham a unisex name?
What names go well with Sham?
About the name Sham
Sham is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2001 and has accumulated 245 births in the dataset. Sham's peak popularity came in 2018 when it ranked #4,237. Use the chart and map above to compare Sham's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2018 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "S" →
- Browse all girl 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.