Fun Facts About the Name Shirin
- 801 babies named Shirin: U.S. records list 801 babies given the name Shirin from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Shirin Mean?
Shirin is a Persian feminine name meaning "sweet." It comes from the Persian adjective shīrīn (شیرین), formed from shīr (شیر), "milk," plus the suffix -īn, so the literal sense is something like "milky" or "sweet as milk." The Middle Persian form of the word was šīrēn. Persian shīr is also a homograph meaning "lion," but the name's meaning rests on the "milk" word, not the "lion" word.
Forms such as Turkish Şirin, Azerbaijani Şirin, and South Asian Shireen are adaptations of the same Persian name, not independent origins with separate meanings.
Shirin Name History & Origins
The name is attested in Middle Persian as šīrēn. Its most prominent early bearer was Shirin, the Christian wife of the Sasanian king Khosrow II (reigned 590 - 628). She appears in Syriac Christian sources and in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, the Persian epic completed around 1010, where she is named as Khosrow's wife. Reports about her family background vary; she is usually described as coming from the Khuzestan region and as being of Aramaean Christian origin, and she was the mother of Khosrow's son Mardanshah.
Shirin's later fame came chiefly through the romance Khosrow and Shirin, composed by the Persian poet Nezami Ganjavi around 1180 as part of his Khamsa. Nezami's telling shaped the story as it is generally known - Khosrow's courtship of Shirin, the rivalry of the sculptor Farhad, and Shirin's eventual position as queen - and it was retold by later poets, including Amir Khusrau in India and writers in Ottoman Turkish. The romance gives Shirin a legendary royal lineage that does not match what the historical sources say about her origins.
Persian literary and cultural influence carried the name into Turkish, Azerbaijani, Kurdish, and Urdu-speaking regions, and it is used by Muslim families from the Balkans to South Asia. In South Asia the spelling Shireen is common, while Turkish and Azerbaijani use Şirin.
How Popular is the Name Shirin?
Shirin 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 1985. Its best rank was #3,321 in 1985.
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 | #7,443 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2024 | #8,854 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2023 | #10,198 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2022 | #7,582 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2021 | #17,324 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2020 | #10,158 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2019 | #13,601 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2018 | #6,490 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2017 | #9,844 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2016 | #8,330 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2015 | #5,806 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 2014 | #8,887 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2013 | #7,698 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2012 | #11,142 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2011 | #12,016 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2010 | #10,367 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2009 | #15,011 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2008 | #9,415 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2007 | #12,527 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2006 | #7,811 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2005 | #10,808 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2004 | #6,459 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2003 | #6,541 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2002 | #10,975 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2001 | #9,273 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2000 | #5,290 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 1999 | #7,649 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1998 | #9,174 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1997 | #6,792 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1996 | #7,514 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1995 | #9,440 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1994 | #5,950 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1993 | #6,991 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1992 | #4,511 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 1991 | #7,365 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1990 | #6,426 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1989 | #5,510 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1988 | #7,048 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1987 | #4,250 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 1986 | #4,169 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 1985 | #3,321 | 27 | 0.0016% |
| 1984 | #4,467 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1983 | #3,663 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 1982 | #4,910 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 1981 | #6,742 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1980 | #4,291 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 1979 | #4,391 | 17 | 0.0011% |
| 1978 | #4,424 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 1977 | #4,896 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 1976 | #6,514 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1975 | #6,385 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1974 | #6,173 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1972 | #7,155 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1971 | #9,408 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1969 | #4,687 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 1968 | #6,152 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1967 | #5,380 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1965 | #3,709 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1964 | #5,919 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1962 | #6,461 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1959 | #6,131 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1957 | #5,989 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1938 | #4,918 | 5 | 0.0005% |
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.
Explore More Lists with Name Shirin
Most Popular Girl Names That Start with S
How the Name Shirin 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 intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.
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.
✦ Shirin's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Shirin's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.