Girl · #7,898 in 2026

Shirin

Shirin was wife of the Sasanian emperor Khosrow II. In the revolution after the death of Khosrow's father Hormizd IV, the General Bahram Chobin took power over the Persian empire. Shirin fled with Khosrow to Syria, where they lived under the protection of Byzantine emperor Maurice.

Current Rank
#7,898
Peak Rank
#3,245 (1985)
Total Babies
812
5-Yr Trend
+21%
1938
First Year
2026
Last Year
1985
Peak Year
#3245
Peak Rank
812
Total Count
64
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Shirin

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Shirin was wife of the Sasanian emperor Khosrow II. In the revolution after the death of Khosrow's father Hormizd IV, the General Bahram Chobin took power over the Persian empire. Shirin fled with Khosrow to Syria, where they lived under the protection of Byzantine emperor Maurice.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Origin & history
The background of Shirin is uncertain, although she was most likely of an Iranian ethnicity. According to the 7th-century Armenian historian Sebeos (died after 661), she was a native of Khuzistan in southwestern Iran. However, two Syriac chronicles state that she was "Aramean" i.e., from the region of Assyria . The Persian historian Mirkhvand (died 1498), writing much later, states that she used to be a servant in a Persian house which Khosrow II used to regularly visit during his teens. The 11th-century Persian epic Shahnameh ("The Book of Kings") of Ferdowsi (died 1019/1025), which was based

The Story of Shirin

Shirin first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1938, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1985, when 27 Shirins were born — ranking #3,245 that year. As of 2026, Shirin ranks #7,898 for baby girls with 13 births, rising sharply (+21% over the past five years). In total, more than 812 Shirins have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1930s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Shirin

Phonetically similar names — useful when Shirin 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 Shirin

What does the name Shirin mean?
Shirin was wife of the Sasanian emperor Khosrow II. In the revolution after the death of Khosrow's father Hormizd IV, the General Bahram Chobin took power over the Persian empire. Shirin fled with Khosrow to Syria, where they lived under the protection of Byzantine emperor Maurice.
How popular is Shirin in 2026?
In 2026, Shirin ranks #7,898 among girls' names in the U.S., with 13 babies given the name that year.
When was Shirin most popular?
Shirin reached its peak popularity in 1985, ranking #3,245 that year with 27 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Shirin most popular?
Shirin has historically been most popular in New York, California, Texas. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Shirin.
Is Shirin a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Shirin is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Shirin?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Shirin include Lean, Sidnee, Shareese. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Shirin

Shirin is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1938 and has accumulated 812 births in the dataset. Shirin's peak popularity came in 1985 when it ranked #3,245. Use the chart and map above to compare Shirin's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.