Shamel
Shamel is a Goan percussion instrument. There are two variants of shamel: the original one, and the zod shamel. The shamel is played with two thin cane or bamboo sticks, one of which is straight, and the other is curved at the end. The sticks are from a tree called beth. The shamel is vase shaped and covered with goat skin. The base of the shamel is carved out of 'Khair' wood.
Meaning & Origin of Shamel
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Shamel is a Goan percussion instrument. There are two variants of shamel: the original one, and the zod shamel. The shamel is played with two thin cane or bamboo sticks, one of which is straight, and the other is curved at the end. The sticks are from a tree called beth. The shamel is vase shaped and covered with goat skin. The base of the shamel is carved out of 'Khair' wood.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Shamel
As a girl name
Shamel first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1975, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1977, when 15 Shamels were born — ranking #4,425 that year. As of 2026, Shamel ranks #11,807 for girls with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 155 Shamels have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Shamel first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1974, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1993, when 42 Shamels were born — ranking #1,933 that year. As of 2026, Shamel ranks #12,230 for boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 1K Shamels 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 Shamel
Phonetically similar names — useful when Shamel 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 Shamel
What does the name Shamel mean?
How popular is Shamel in 2026?
When was Shamel most popular?
In which U.S. states is Shamel most popular?
Is Shamel a unisex name?
What names go well with Shamel?
About the name Shamel
Shamel is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1974 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Shamel's peak popularity came in 1993 when it ranked #1,933. Use the chart and map above to compare Shamel's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1993 →
- 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.