Shan
The Story of Shan
As a girl name
Shan first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1944, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1970, when 45 Shans were born — ranking #1,904 that year. As of 2026, Shan ranks #16,210 for girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 864 Shans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1940s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Shan first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1944, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1969, when 73 Shans were born — ranking #893 that year. As of 2026, Shan ranks #8,947 for boys with 8 births, gradually rising (+5%). In total, more than 2K Shans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1940s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Shan
Phonetically similar names — useful when Shan 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 Shan
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About the name Shan
Shan is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1944 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Shan's peak popularity came in 1969 when it ranked #893. Use the chart and map above to compare Shan's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1969 →
- Names of the 1960s →
- 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.