Shia
Boy name · #1360 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Shia? In official American birth records, Shia has been tracked continuously since 1960, giving it 65 years of documented American history.
Shia ranks #1360 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 138 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #1983, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 13,043 boys born in 2025 was named Shia.
The 65-year story
Shia first appears in the Social Security records in 1960, when 5 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2024, with 171 babies and a rank of #1196. 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.
Babies named Shia per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Shia against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Shia in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Shia is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Shia will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Shia is most common
State-level data for Shia is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Shia
Statistically, parents drawn to Shia tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Yahia, Shaya, Shaurya, Sora, and Rudra.
YahiaShayaShauryaSoraRudraSaifKotaScout
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Shia | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 138 | #1358 |
| 2024 | 171 | #1196 |
| 2023 | 159 | #1234 |
| 2022 | 146 | #1300 |
| 2021 | 153 | #1245 |
| 2020 | 130 | #1361 |
| 2019 | 85 | #1805 |
| 2018 | 72 | #2017 |
| 2017 | 99 | #1612 |
| 2016 | 72 | #1991 |
| 2015 | 73 | #1983 |
| 2014 | 93 | #1657 |
| 2013 | 71 | #1942 |
| 2012 | 70 | #2003 |
| 2011 | 104 | #1524 |
| 2010 | 96 | #1626 |
| 2009 | 115 | #1453 |
| 2008 | 83 | #1792 |
| 2007 | 40 | #2920 |
| 2006 | 35 | #3083 |
| 2005 | 31 | #3241 |
| 2004 | 20 | #4264 |
| 2003 | 25 | #3528 |
| 2002 | 18 | #4322 |
| 2001 | 15 | #4890 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Shia?
In official American birth records, the name Shia first appeared in 1960 (over 65 years ago), when 5 newborn boys received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 65 years.
Is Shia a popular boy name?
Shia ranked #1360 among boys in 2025 with 138 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1983.
When was the name Shia most popular?
Shia peaked in 2024, when 171 American boys received the name (ranked #1196 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Shia?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 13,043 newborn American boys was named Shia. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.