Shmiel
Boy name · #2238 in 2025 · Uniqueness 61/100
Shmiel ranks #2238 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 63 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #2722, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 28,571 boys born in 2025 was named Shmiel.
Babies named Shmiel per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 66-year story
Shmiel first appears in the Social Security records in 1959, when 10 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 63 babies and a rank of #2230. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Shmiel against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Shmiel in class?
Shmiel scores 61 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Shmiel is most common
State-level data for Shmiel is sparse in 2025 — the name's footprint is too small for most states to report (the SSA suppresses counts under 5 per state for privacy).
Names like Shmiel
Statistically, parents drawn to Shmiel tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Jaciel, Raziel, Abriel, Yaziel, and Ezriel.
JacielRazielAbrielYazielEzrielZurielYechielAsiel
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Shmiel | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 63 | #2230 |
| 2024 | 45 | #2835 |
| 2023 | 55 | #2441 |
| 2022 | 45 | #2830 |
| 2021 | 43 | #2862 |
| 2020 | 45 | #2728 |
| 2019 | 39 | #3052 |
| 2018 | 31 | #3524 |
| 2017 | 35 | #3249 |
| 2016 | 44 | #2726 |
| 2015 | 44 | #2722 |
| 2014 | 38 | #2985 |
| 2013 | 31 | #3405 |
| 2012 | 33 | #3297 |
| 2011 | 24 | #4110 |
| 2010 | 29 | #3633 |
| 2009 | 39 | #2991 |
| 2008 | 17 | #5249 |
| 2007 | 25 | #4011 |
| 2006 | 18 | #4865 |
| 2005 | 23 | #3941 |
| 2004 | 21 | #4129 |
| 2003 | 14 | #5271 |
| 2002 | 11 | #6088 |
| 2001 | 22 | #3721 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Shmiel a popular boy name?
Shmiel ranked #2238 among boys in 2025 with 63 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2722.
When was the name Shmiel most popular?
Shmiel peaked in 2025, when 63 American boys received the name (ranked #2230 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Shmiel?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 28,571 newborn American boys was named Shmiel. It scores 61/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
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.