Sher
Sher is a name with multiple cultural origins: Urdu, Pashto.
- Urdu
- Pashto
Meaning & Origin of Sher
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Sher is a name with multiple cultural origins: Urdu, Pashto.
Origin data from Behind the Name .
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Urdu
- Pashto
The Story of Sher
As a girl name
American parents first put Sher on the record books as a girl name in 1953, with 9 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1972, when 14 Shers were born — ranking #4,091 that year. The 1950s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 50% of all recorded Shers. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2015 (5 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 124 Shers have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Sher first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1980, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2023: 16 births, good for #5,664 nationwide. The 1980s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 35% of all recorded Shers. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2024 (7 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 168 Shers have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Sher
Phonetically similar names — useful when Sher 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 Sher
What does the name Sher mean?
What is the origin of the name Sher?
How popular is Sher in 2026?
When was Sher most popular?
In which U.S. states is Sher most popular?
Is Sher a unisex name?
What names go well with Sher?
About the name Sher
Sher is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1980 and has accumulated 168 births in the dataset. Sher's peak popularity came in 2023 when it ranked #5,664. Use the chart and map above to compare Sher's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2023 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- 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.