Shane
Boy name · #635 in 2025 · Rare
Shane is currently the #635 boy name in the United States — 439 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #295, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 4,100 boys born in 2025 was named Shane.
The 92-year story
Shane first appears in the Social Security records in 1933, when 6 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1973, when 5,710 boys were named Shane — good for #54 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Shane per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Shane against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Shane in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Shane is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Shane will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Shane is most common
Geography matters for names, and Shane is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Shane is most common in CT (0.8 per 1,000), NY (0.7 per 1,000), NJ (0.6 per 1,000), IL (0.5 per 1,000), PA (0.5 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.3 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Shane is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Shane
Statistically, parents drawn to Shane tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Rene, Shawn, Dane, Jaime, and Lance.
ReneShawnDaneJaimeLanceJamieAndreTyrone
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Shane | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 439 | #635 |
| 2024 | 475 | #600 |
| 2023 | 528 | #555 |
| 2022 | 582 | #511 |
| 2021 | 598 | #493 |
| 2020 | 569 | #507 |
| 2019 | 739 | #422 |
| 2018 | 875 | #372 |
| 2017 | 916 | #359 |
| 2016 | 1,068 | #325 |
| 2015 | 1,217 | #295 |
| 2014 | 1,298 | #277 |
| 2013 | 1,398 | #257 |
| 2012 | 1,480 | #244 |
| 2011 | 1,643 | #213 |
| 2010 | 1,876 | #197 |
| 2009 | 2,132 | #178 |
| 2008 | 2,307 | #174 |
| 2007 | 2,241 | #184 |
| 2006 | 2,277 | #179 |
| 2005 | 2,459 | #166 |
| 2004 | 2,476 | #165 |
| 2003 | 2,816 | #144 |
| 2002 | 3,030 | #130 |
| 2001 | 3,116 | #128 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Shane a popular boy name?
Shane ranked #635 among boys in 2025 with 439 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #295.
When was the name Shane most popular?
Shane peaked in 1973, when 5,710 American boys received the name (ranked #54 that year). Since 1973 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Shane?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 4,100 newborn American boys was named Shane. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.