Fun Facts About the Name Sham
- 276 babies named Sham: U.S. records list 276 babies given the name Sham from 1880 through 2025. Even 36 boys received the name Sham - about 1 boy for every 7 girls.
What Does the Name Sham Mean?
Sham comes from more than one source, so its meaning depends on which tradition is being followed. In Hebrew it is usually treated as a spelling of Shem (שֵׁם), the name of Noah's eldest son in Genesis; the Hebrew word shem means "name" and, by extension, "renown" or "fame." In Arabic, Shām (شام) is the traditional name for the Levant - roughly the area of present-day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine - and it is also used as a personal name, while the related Arabic noun shāmah means a mole or beauty mark. In South Asian use, Sham is most often a spelling of Shyam, from Sanskrit śyāma, "dark" or "dark blue," an epithet of Krishna.
Two further senses come from ordinary vocabulary rather than from an older personal name. Persian shām means "evening," the counterpart of subh, "morning," and in several Turkic languages sham means a candle or lamp. Both words appear in Central Asian given names, but the evidence that either is the main source of the name Sham is limited.
Sham Name History & Origins
The Hebrew Shem appears in Genesis as Noah's eldest son and the traditional ancestor of the Semitic peoples, and it has been used as a Jewish given name for centuries. English spellings of it vary, and Sham is one of the shorter forms that has been used in English. Arabic tradition identifies the same ancestor figure as Sām, a son of Noah, but the personal name Shām has a different shape from that form.
Al-Shām, the Arabic name for the Levant, is traditionally connected with a root meaning "left" or "north" - the direction a person at Mecca faces when turned away from Yemen in the south - and it came to designate the lands around Damascus in particular. Shām is used as a given name in Arabic-speaking countries.
In South Asia, Sham is a widespread English spelling of Shyam, a name of Krishna, and it serves as a masculine given name and family name in Hindi- and Urdu-speaking areas and in the diaspora. Sham and Shyam represent the same name; the shorter spelling drops the glide heard in Shyam.
Central Asian use of Sham as a given name is often explained by the Persian word for evening or the Turkic word for candle or lamp, but where Arabic and Persian naming traditions overlap, the Arabic regional name may also lie behind it, and the two explanations are hard to separate from the available record.
The English common noun sham, meaning a fraud or something counterfeit, is recorded from the 1600s and developed separately from the personal names described above.
How Popular is the Name Sham?
Sham has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2018. Its best rank was #4,132 in 1974.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #5,212 | 25 | 0.0016% |
| 2024 | #7,512 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2023 | #7,990 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 2022 | #9,571 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2021 | #11,020 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2020 | #8,334 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2019 | #7,665 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2018 | #4,337 | 33 | 0.0019% |
| 2017 | #6,012 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 2016 | #7,551 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2015 | #6,689 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2014 | #8,426 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2013 | #8,512 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2012 | #11,131 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2007 | #20,073 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2001 | #15,022 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | #13,727 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2006 | #11,826 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1999 | #11,335 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1984 | #6,201 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1974 | #4,132 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1972 | #4,897 | 6 | 0.0004% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Sham Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are spiritually intense and can sting or charm. Your name brings love and new starts into life and attracts money. In business, you are the creator and promoter of original ideas and usually enjoy considerable financial success. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Sham's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Sham's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.