Sharaye
A feminine name derived from "sheray", meaning "song" or "melody" in Hebrew.
Name Census estimates that about 18 living Americans carry the first name Sharaye. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Sharaye today is around 39 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sharaye births was 1991 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sharaye. 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 Sharaye. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
18
~ 1 in 19,041,908 Americans
Peak year
1991
13 babies that year
Average age
39
years old
1991 SSA rank
#6,919
Tracked since 1980
Popularity
Sharaye: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sharaye from the 1980s through to the 1990s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 13 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sharaye 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 Sharaye 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 Sharaye
The name Sharaye is believed to have its origins in the Persian language, with roots tracing back to ancient Persia, now known as Iran. It is derived from the Persian word "shara," which means "noble" or "distinguished." The name's earliest recorded usage dates back to the 6th century CE, during the reign of the Sassanid Empire in Persia.
In Persian culture, names were often chosen to reflect desired qualities and characteristics, and Sharaye was likely bestowed upon individuals with the hope that they would embody nobility and distinction. The name's spelling has remained relatively consistent throughout history, with minor variations such as "Sharayeh" or "Sharaie."
While there are no known references to the name Sharaye in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it has been recorded in historical documents and records from Persia and the surrounding regions. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was Sharaye al-Din, a renowned Persian physician and philosopher who lived during the 12th century CE.
Another notable figure was Sharaye Ardabili, a 15th-century Persian poet and mystic who gained recognition for her contributions to the literary and spiritual traditions of the time. Her birth year is estimated to be around 1420 CE.
In the 16th century, Sharaye Qumi was a prominent Persian calligrapher and artist, known for her intricate and beautiful works. Her exact birth and death dates are uncertain, but she is believed to have been active during the reign of Shah Abbas I, who ruled from 1588 to 1629 CE.
Moving forward to the 19th century, Sharaye Shirazi was a Persian scholar and poet who made significant contributions to the field of literature. She was born in 1835 CE and lived until the early 20th century, though her exact death date is unclear.
Lastly, Sharaye Kermani was a 20th-century Persian author and activist who fought for women's rights and social reform. She was born in 1905 CE and lived until 1989, leaving behind a legacy of advocacy and literary works.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the name Sharaye, each leaving their mark in various fields and contributing to the rich cultural tapestry of Persia and the surrounding regions.
People
Sharaye + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sharaye 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
Sharaye: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sharaye?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 18 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sharaye 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 19,041,908 US residents.
Is Sharaye a common name?
We classify Sharaye as "Very Rare". It ranks above 38.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 19 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sharaye most popular?
The single biggest year for Sharaye was 1991, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sharaye is about 39 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Sharaye in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Sharaye a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sharaye 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.
Is Sharaye still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Sharaye in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Sharaye can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Sharaye as a first name?
If you just want to know how many people share the name Sharaye, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.