Shallan
A feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "a rising dawn".
Name Census estimates that about 50 living Americans carry the first name Shallan. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shallan today is around 42 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shallan births was 1977 (16 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shallan. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Shallan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
50
~ 1 in 6,855,087 Americans
Peak year
1977
16 babies that year
Average age
42
years old
2002 SSA rank
#8,746
Tracked since 1976
Popularity
Shallan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shallan from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 36 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1970s peak, Shallan remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shallan 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 Shallan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Shallan
The name Shallan has its origins in the ancient Sumerian language, one of the earliest known written languages, dating back to around 3500 BCE. It is believed to be derived from the Sumerian word "shal-an," which translates to "noble" or "exalted." The name was initially associated with the upper classes and nobility in the Sumerian city-states of ancient Mesopotamia.
During the Babylonian era, around 2000 BCE, the name Shallan found its way into the cuneiform writings of the time, often appearing in records and inscriptions related to the ruling class and aristocracy. It was a name bestowed upon those of high social standing and influence, signifying their elevated status within the societal hierarchy.
In the ancient Hebrew tradition, the name Shallan is thought to be a variant of the biblical name "Shalem," which means "peace" or "completeness." This connection suggests that the name may have carried connotations of tranquility, harmony, and wholeness within certain cultural contexts.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shallan can be found in the Sumerian King List, an ancient inscription that chronicles the rulers of various Sumerian city-states. The name appears in reference to a king who ruled over the city of Uruk around 2600 BCE.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Shallan:
1. Shallan of Uruk (c. 2600 BCE): A Sumerian king whose reign is documented in the Sumerian King List.
2. Shallan the Scribe (c. 1800 BCE): A renowned Babylonian scribe and scholar known for his contributions to the preservation of ancient texts and writings.
3. Shallan the Navigator (c. 900 BCE): A skilled Phoenician navigator and explorer who is credited with establishing trade routes across the Mediterranean.
4. Shallan the Wise (c. 300 BCE): A Greek philosopher and teacher from the city of Ephesus, known for her teachings on ethics and virtue.
5. Shallan the Poet (c. 800 CE): An influential Arab poet and writer during the Abbasid Caliphate, celebrated for her lyrical compositions and literary works.
While the name Shallan has ancient roots and a rich historical legacy, it has remained relatively uncommon in modern times, perhaps due to its unique spelling and pronunciation. Nevertheless, the name continues to carry a sense of nobility, wisdom, and cultural significance, preserving its connection to the civilizations that shaped its origins.
People
Shallan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shallan 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
Shallan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shallan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 50 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shallan 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 6,855,087 US residents.
Is Shallan a common name?
We classify Shallan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 54.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 54 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shallan most popular?
The single biggest year for Shallan was 1977, when 16 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shallan is about 42 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Shallan a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shallan 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.