Sheva
Feminine Hebrew name meaning "seven", "oath", or "fullness".
Name Census estimates that about 339 living Americans carry the first name Sheva. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Sheva today is around 27 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sheva births was 2023 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sheva. 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
339
~ 1 in 1,011,075 Americans
Peak year
2023
19 babies that year
Average age
27
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,327
Tracked since 1966
Popularity
Sheva: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sheva from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 65 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
Sheva 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 Sheva during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Shevas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Sheva
The name Sheva has its origins in the Hebrew language and culture, dating back to ancient times. It is believed to be derived from the Hebrew word "sheva," which means "seven" or "oath." This name may have been given to children born as the seventh child in a family or to signify a sacred promise or covenant.
In the biblical text of the Old Testament, the name Sheva appears in various forms, including Sheva and Shavsha. One notable figure bearing this name was Sheva, the son of Caleb, mentioned in 1 Chronicles 2:49 in the Bible. Sheva was also the name of a scribe who served under King David, as recorded in 2 Samuel 20:25.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Sheva can be found in the Talmud, a central text of Rabbinic Judaism. The Talmud mentions Sheva, a rabbi who lived in the 3rd century CE and was known for his wisdom and teachings.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Sheva. In the 11th century, Sheva ben Yosef was a renowned Spanish Jewish scholar and poet who lived in Seville, Spain. His works contributed significantly to the development of Hebrew literature and poetry during the Golden Age of Jewish culture in Spain.
In the 16th century, Sheva ben Ari was a prominent Kabbalist and rabbi from Safed, Palestine. He was known for his expertise in Jewish mysticism and was a disciple of the famous Kabbalist, Isaac Luria.
Another notable figure was Sheva Friedman (1910-1999), a Polish-born Israeli writer and Holocaust survivor. Her memoir, "This Was a Man," recounted her experiences during the Holocaust and paid tribute to her husband, who perished in the Nazi concentration camps.
In the realm of music, Sheva Alomar (born 1982) is a renowned Israeli singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. She has gained recognition for her unique blend of Middle Eastern and Western musical styles, combining traditional Israeli and Arabic influences with modern genres.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have borne the name Sheva throughout history, highlighting its cultural significance and enduring legacy across various fields and eras.
People
Sheva + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sheva 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
Sheva: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sheva?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 339 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sheva 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 1,011,075 US residents.
Is Sheva a common name?
We classify Sheva as "Very Rare". It ranks above 80.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 353 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sheva most popular?
The single biggest year for Sheva was 2023, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sheva is about 27 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Sheva a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sheva 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.