Sha
Feminine
Sha is given to both — 639 girls and 127 boys since 1880. See other names given to both
Sha is a whole name in one syllable, the front of a large family of American names given on its own. It sounds exactly like the Persian word for a king, the word that gave chess its check and its checkmate.
How old is the name Sha?
Sha first appears in US birth records in 1962 — 63 years ago. The typical Sha alive today was born around 1985, making them about 40 years old. About 600 people named Sha are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Sha most popular?
Sha peaked in 1978, reaching #2741 nationally. See the whole 1978 chart.
Where it comes from
Origin, sound and short forms
Our story of Sha
Sha is the sound of a single breath, and it has been standing at the front of American names for decades. On its own it echoes a much older word: shah, the Persian title for a king. When chess traveled from Persia through the Arab world to Europe, the warning that the king was attacked came with it, and shah became check; shah mat, 'the king is helpless', became checkmate, and the checkered table of the royal accountants gave England its Exchequer. None of this made the name, but it is good company for a single syllable.
Meaningnot established
Not established
Sha may be a short form of one of the many names that begin with it, Shanice, Shawna or Sharonda among them, or a name in its own right; the record holds it with no longer form attached. It is not documented as the Persian shah.
Pronouncing Sha
SHAH
One syllable.
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1962
- Most girls named
- 198932 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #2741reached in 1978
- Change vs 2017
- 0.0%5 in 2024, from 5
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Shas among us
people named Sha are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Sha sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- As short as a name can be, and impossible to shorten further.
- Easy to say in any language.
- Very rare, so a Sha is unlikely to share her name.
- Many people will assume it is a nickname and ask for the full name.
- The record also holds the spelling for a real minority of boys, so either child may be taken for the other on paper.
- Some will spell it Shah, the Persian title.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Sha to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Sha? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Sha
Feminine
Frequently asked
- How many Shas are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 600 people named Sha are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Sha in 2025?
- Sha is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 girl names.
- Will my child share the name Sha with classmates?
- Sha will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More S names
The most-given names starting with S, all years combined.
Susan#1085 · Sarah#90 · Sandra#1207 · Stephanie#557 · Sharon#1250 · Shirley#1581 · Samantha#151 · Sophia#5
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Sha? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Sha and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle