unisex name
Shadow
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 1,122
Shadow is a unisex name with 2 syllables. It is given to both girls and boys — about 44% of recorded births with this name are girls. In 2025 it was given to 15 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
- Peaked in 1993, when 58 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 221,043 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1974.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Shadow over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1970s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 23 |
| 1980s | 106 |
| 1990s | 458 |
| 2000s | 196 |
| 2010s | 186 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 135 |
How popular is Shadow?
In 2025, Shadow was given to 15 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Where Shadow is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Shadow
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Shadow also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Shadow over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sibling names for Shadow
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Shadow — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Shadow
How popular is the name Shadow?
In 2025, Shadow was given to 15 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Is Shadow a girl's or a boy's name?
Shadow is used for both girls and boys. About 44% of recorded births with this name are girls.
How many syllables are in Shadow?
Shadow has 2 syllables.
When was Shadow most popular?
Shadow peaked in 1993, when 58 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Shadow a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Shadow currently ranks #5,997 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.