Shahd
A feminine Arabic name meaning "honeycomb" or "sweet nectar".
Name Census estimates that about 718 living Americans carry the first name Shahd. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shahd today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shahd births was 2017 (42 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shahd. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
718
~ 1 in 477,374 Americans
Peak year
2017
42 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,914
Tracked since 1992
Popularity
Shahd: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shahd from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 290 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Shahd remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shahd by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Shahd during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Shahds live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. New York, Michigan, California recorded the most babies named Shahd, while Texas, New Jersey, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 35 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Shahd
The name Shahd is of Arabic origin, derived from the word "shahdun," meaning "honey" or "nectar." It is believed to have originated in the Middle East during ancient times, where honey was highly valued and considered a precious commodity.
The name Shahd is often associated with sweetness, purity, and beauty, reflecting the qualities of honey. In Arabic culture, names often carry symbolic meanings and are chosen with great care to reflect the hopes and aspirations of parents for their children.
Historically, the name Shahd has been mentioned in various Arabic literary works and poetry, where it was used to describe the beauty and charm of beloved women. It is also found in some Islamic texts and hadiths, where it is used metaphorically to describe the sweetness of faith and the rewards of Paradise.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Shahd can be found in the work of the renowned 9th-century Arabic poet, Abu Nuwas, who composed a poem praising a woman named Shahd for her beauty and grace.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Shahd. One of the most famous was Shahd bint Aws, a 7th-century Arabian woman known for her wisdom and poetic talent. She was highly respected in her time and is mentioned in various historical accounts.
Another notable figure was Shahd al-Jazzar, a 13th-century Syrian mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the fields of trigonometry and spherical geometry. Her works were widely studied and influenced subsequent generations of scholars.
In the modern era, Shahd Bint Khalid Al Qasimi, born in 1983, is a prominent Emirati artist and sculptor known for her unique and thought-provoking works that explore themes of identity, culture, and tradition.
Additionally, Shahd Al-Rawi, born in 1973, is an Iraqi-Canadian novelist and poet whose works explore the complex experiences of displacement, exile, and identity. Her debut novel, "The Baghdad Clock," was widely acclaimed and earned her numerous literary awards.
Lastly, Shahd Ameen, born in 1983, is a Saudi Arabian singer and actress who has gained popularity for her performances in various television shows and movies. She is celebrated for her versatility and for bringing attention to contemporary Saudi Arabian culture through her artistic endeavors.
People
Shahd + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shahd as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Shahd: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shahd?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 718 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shahd going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 477,374 US residents.
Is Shahd a common name?
We classify Shahd as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 726 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shahd most popular?
The single biggest year for Shahd was 2017, when 42 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shahd is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Shahd a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shahd in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.