Sham
Girl name · #5201 in 2025 · Uniqueness 51/100
In 2025, 25 baby girls were named Sham, placing it at #5201 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #6452, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 72,000 girls born in 2025 was named Sham.
Babies named Sham per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 24-year story
Sham first appears in the Social Security records in 2001, when 6 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2018, when 33 girls were named Sham — good for #4237 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. 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 Sham against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Sham in class?
Sham scores 51 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 Sham is most common
State-level data for Sham 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 Sham
Statistically, parents drawn to Sham tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Liam, Ariam, Stassi, Surah, and Prim.
LiamAriamStassiSurahPrimSilaChizaramBeckham
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Sham | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 25 | #5099 |
| 2024 | 15 | #7251 |
| 2023 | 14 | #7640 |
| 2022 | 11 | #9056 |
| 2021 | 9 | #10292 |
| 2020 | 13 | #7969 |
| 2019 | 15 | #7342 |
| 2018 | 33 | #4237 |
| 2017 | 21 | #5821 |
| 2016 | 16 | #7230 |
| 2015 | 19 | #6452 |
| 2014 | 14 | #8053 |
| 2013 | 14 | #8135 |
| 2012 | 10 | #10429 |
| 2007 | 5 | #17636 |
| 2001 | 6 | #13521 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Sham a popular girl name?
Sham ranked #5201 among girls in 2025 with 25 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #6452.
When was the name Sham most popular?
Sham peaked in 2018, when 33 American girls received the name (ranked #4237 that year). Since 2018 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Sham?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 72,000 newborn American girls was named Sham. It scores 51/100 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.