Shemari
A female name of Hebrew origin meaning "protector" or "watchman".
Name Census estimates that about 16 living Americans carry the first name Shemari. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 68.8% of registrations being male. The average person named Shemari today is around 23 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shemari births was 2007 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shemari. 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 Shemari. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
16
~ 1 in 21,422,146 Americans
Peak year
2007
6 babies that year
Average age
23
years old
2007 SSA rank
#12,133
Tracked since 1998
Gender
Gender distribution for Shemari
Shemari is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 16 total registrations, 11 (68.8%) were male and 5 (31.3%) were female.
Shemari as a male name
- Ranked #12,133 in 2007
- 6 male births in 2007
- Peak: 2007 (6 births)
Shemari as a female name
- Ranked #16,212 in 1998
- 5 female births in 1998
- Peak: 1998 (5 births)
Popularity
Shemari: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shemari from the 1990s through to the 2000s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 11 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
Shemari 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 Shemari 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 Shemari
The name Shemari is believed to have originated from the Hebrew language and culture. It is derived from the Hebrew word "shamar," which means "to guard" or "to protect." This name was likely used in ancient Israelite communities during biblical times.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Shemari can be found in the Book of Samuel, which is part of the Hebrew Bible. In this text, Shemari is mentioned as a warrior who fought alongside King David. However, there are no specific details provided about this individual.
In the Middle Ages, the name Shemari was relatively uncommon but still in use among Jewish communities across Europe and the Middle East. One notable figure from this period was Shemari ben Isaac, a 13th-century Jewish scholar and philosopher from Spain. He is known for his work on Hebrew grammar and his contributions to the study of the Torah.
During the Renaissance period, the name Shemari gained some popularity in certain parts of Europe, particularly in Italy and France. One famous bearer of this name was Shemari de Medici (1523-1589), a member of the influential Medici family in Florence. He was a patron of the arts and commissioned several notable works of art and architecture.
In the 19th century, the name Shemari was relatively uncommon but still in use among Jewish communities in various parts of the world. One notable figure from this time was Shemari Levin (1860-1935), a Russian-born Jewish author and playwright who wrote extensively about Jewish life and culture.
Another notable individual with the name Shemari was Shemari Cohen (1887-1964), an American-born Jewish scholar and author who wrote several books on Jewish history and philosophy. He was also a prominent figure in the Zionist movement and played a role in the establishment of the State of Israel.
Overall, while the name Shemari has its roots in ancient Hebrew culture and language, it has been used across various regions and time periods, particularly among Jewish communities. The name has been borne by scholars, authors, and other notable figures throughout history.
People
Shemari + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shemari 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
Shemari: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shemari?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 16 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shemari 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 21,422,146 US residents.
Is Shemari a common name?
We classify Shemari as "Very Rare". It ranks above 36.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 16 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shemari most popular?
The single biggest year for Shemari was 2007, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shemari is about 23 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 Shemari in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Shemari a male name?
Yes, 68.8% of people registered as Shemari 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 Shemari still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Shemari 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 Shemari 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 Americans are named Shemari?
Want to know how many Americans are named Shemari? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.