Shawhin
A masculine name of Arabic origin meaning "the bright one".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Shawhin. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Shawhin today is around 37 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shawhin births was 1988 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shawhin. 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 Shawhin. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1988
5 babies that year
Average age
37
years old
1988 SSA rank
#8,315
Tracked since 1988
Popularity
Shawhin: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Shawhin 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 Shawhin during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Shawhin
The given name Shawhin is believed to have originated from the ancient Sumerian language, one of the earliest known written languages in the world, dating back to around 3500 BC. It is thought to be derived from the Sumerian words "sha," meaning "to shine," and "hin," meaning "grace" or "beauty," thus suggesting a meaning along the lines of "shining grace" or "radiant beauty."
The name Shawhin can be traced back to the region of ancient Mesopotamia, which encompassed modern-day Iraq, parts of Iran, Syria, and Turkey. It was likely used by the Sumerians, one of the earliest civilizations in the region, known for their advancements in writing, agriculture, and city-building.
While there are no definitive historical references to the name Shawhin in ancient texts or religious scriptures, its Sumerian roots suggest that it may have been used during the period when Sumerian culture flourished, around 3000-2000 BC.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Shawhin dates back to the 8th century BC, referring to a Babylonian scribe and astronomer who contributed to the development of the ancient Babylonian calendar and astronomical calculations.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Shawhin, including:
1. Shawhin al-Attar (c. 1160 - 1230), a renowned Sufi poet and mystic from Persia (modern-day Iran), known for his spiritual writings and teachings.
2. Shawhin ibn Sahl (c. 850 - 925), an influential Arab mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of optics and the study of light refraction.
3. Shawhin al-Hasani (c. 1020 - 1090), a celebrated Islamic scholar and theologian from present-day Iraq, known for his extensive works on Islamic jurisprudence and philosophy.
4. Shawhin ibn Haytham (c. 965 - 1040), an influential Arab scientist, philosopher, and polymath, often referred to as the "Father of Modern Optics" for his groundbreaking work on the nature of light and vision.
5. Shawhin al-Dimashqi (c. 1325 - 1405), a renowned Syrian scholar and traveler who documented his extensive travels throughout the Middle East and parts of Africa in his writings.
While the name Shawhin has its roots in ancient Sumerian culture, it has transcended its origins and been adopted by various cultures and regions throughout history, often carrying connotations of grace, beauty, and radiance.
People
Shawhin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shawhin 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
Shawhin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shawhin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shawhin 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Shawhin a common name?
We classify Shawhin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shawhin most popular?
The single biggest year for Shawhin was 1988, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shawhin is about 37 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 Shawhin in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Shawhin a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shawhin in the SSA data are male. 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 Shawhin still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Shawhin 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 Shawhin 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 share the name Shawhin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.