Shamus
Séamus is an Irish male given name, of Hebrew origin via Latin. It is the Irish equivalent of the name James. The name James is the English New Testament variant for the Hebrew name Jacob.
Meaning & Origin of Shamus
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Séamus is an Irish male given name, of Hebrew origin via Latin. It is the Irish equivalent of the name James. The name James is the English New Testament variant for the Hebrew name Jacob.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Shamus
Shamus first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1959, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2007, when 72 Shamuss were born — ranking #1,951 that year. As of 2026, Shamus ranks #8,250 for baby boys with 9 births, with steady use. In total, more than 2K Shamuss have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Shamus
Phonetically similar names — useful when Shamus 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 Shamus
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About the name Shamus
Shamus is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1959 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Shamus's peak popularity came in 2007 when it ranked #1,951. Use the chart and map above to compare Shamus's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2007 →
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- Top names of 2026 →
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.