Shawn
Boy name · #682 in 2025 · Rare
Shawn is currently the #682 boy name in the United States — 399 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #351, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 4,511 boys born in 2025 was named Shawn.
The 94-year story
Shawn first appears in the Social Security records in 1931, when 6 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1971, when 12,825 boys were named Shawn — good for #28 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 Shawn per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Shawn against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Shawn in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Shawn is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Shawn will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Shawn is most common
Geography matters for names, and Shawn is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Shawn is most common in MD (0.5 per 1,000), MI (0.5 per 1,000), PA (0.5 per 1,000), OH (0.4 per 1,000), IN (0.4 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.3 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Shawn is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Shawn
Statistically, parents drawn to Shawn tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Shane, Scott, Brian, Damon, and Byron.
ShaneScottBrianDamonByronLanceScottieScotty
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Shawn | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 399 | #681 |
| 2024 | 440 | #636 |
| 2023 | 438 | #633 |
| 2022 | 523 | #566 |
| 2021 | 587 | #501 |
| 2020 | 659 | #451 |
| 2019 | 723 | #425 |
| 2018 | 814 | #390 |
| 2017 | 830 | #387 |
| 2016 | 946 | #356 |
| 2015 | 962 | #351 |
| 2014 | 1,068 | #322 |
| 2013 | 1,122 | #307 |
| 2012 | 1,301 | #273 |
| 2011 | 1,431 | #247 |
| 2010 | 1,476 | #236 |
| 2009 | 1,809 | #209 |
| 2008 | 2,067 | #193 |
| 2007 | 2,349 | #175 |
| 2006 | 2,476 | #168 |
| 2005 | 2,372 | #174 |
| 2004 | 2,409 | #169 |
| 2003 | 2,576 | #156 |
| 2002 | 2,618 | #152 |
| 2001 | 2,628 | #151 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Shawn a popular boy name?
Shawn ranked #682 among boys in 2025 with 399 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #351.
When was the name Shawn most popular?
Shawn peaked in 1971, when 12,825 American boys received the name (ranked #28 that year). Since 1971 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Shawn?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 4,511 newborn American boys was named Shawn. 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.