unisex name
Shy
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 1
- Letters 3
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 481
Shy is a unisex name with 1 syllable. It is given to both girls and boys — about 89% of recorded births with this name are girls. In 2025 it was given to 7 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
- Peaked in 1997, when 37 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 473,709 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1973.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Shy 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 | 44 |
| 1980s | 6 |
| 1990s | 146 |
| 2000s | 159 |
| 2010s | 70 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 53 |
How popular is Shy?
In 2025, Shy was given to 7 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Where Shy 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 Shy
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Shy also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Shy over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sibling names for Shy
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Shy — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Shy
How popular is the name Shy?
In 2025, Shy was given to 7 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Is Shy a girl's or a boy's name?
Shy is used for both girls and boys. About 89% of recorded births with this name are girls.
How many syllables are in Shy?
Shy has 1 syllable.
When was Shy most popular?
Shy peaked in 1997, when 37 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
Is Shy a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Shy currently ranks #12,943 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.