Shem
- Gender
- Male
- Meaning
- Name: Renown. In The Bible Shem Was Firstnamed Of Noah's Three Sons.
- Origin
- Hebrew
Shem Popularity Snapshot
Across the entire US Social Security Administration record (1880–2024), 740 baby boys have been named Shem. The name peaked in 1976 with 23 US births that year (rank #2104). In 2024, ranked #6750 nationally — 4,646 places below its 1976 peak.
Top States for Shem
Based on 1910–2024 US SSA state-level records, the three states with the most Shem births are: New York (15), Utah (10), California (5).
Other Hebrew-Origin Names Like Shem
If you like Shem's Hebrew origin, consider these related names: Aalijah, Aaron, Abagail, Abaigael, Abaigeal. Browse all Hebrew names →
4-Letter Names Starting with S
Names with Shem's exact length and starting letter: Saad, Saba, Safa, Sage, Sakr.
Quick Facts About Shem
Looking for names like Shem?
A dedicated page with 60+ related names — spelling variants, rhymes, alliterations, same-origin matches, and shared meaning concepts — lives at its own URL so each kind of similarity gets a deeper treatment than fits here.
Compare Shem to Other Popular Names
Side-by-side popularity charts and crossover years for Shem against today's most popular boys-name peers (top 8 by US births in the last 10 years of SSA records).