Shaolin
The Story of Shaolin
As a girl name
American parents first put Shaolin on the record books as a girl name in 1995, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1999, when 13 Shaolins were born — ranking #7,239 that year. The 1990s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 50% of all recorded Shaolins. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2006 (5 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 62 Shaolins have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
The earliest SSA record of Shaolin as a boy name dates back to 1996, when 5 babies received it. 1996 was its biggest year on record, with 5 newborns named Shaolin — #9,014 in the national rankings. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 1996 (5 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 5 Shaolins have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Shaolin
Phonetically similar names — useful when Shaolin 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 Shaolin
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About the name Shaolin
Shaolin is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1995 and has accumulated 62 births in the dataset. Shaolin's peak popularity came in 1999 when it ranked #7,239. Use the chart and map above to compare Shaolin'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 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.