UK boy's name
Shad
A variant of the Persian name Shadi meaning "joyful" or "happy".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2023. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Shad is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Shad popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4107, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2005, with 15 births.
This profile covers 164 England and Wales registrations across 22 recorded years from 2000 to 2023. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 27% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 163 living people in the UK are called Shad. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2024 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Shad ranked #4107 for boys in England and Wales in 2023, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2005, when 15 boys were registered as Shad.
- • About 163 living people in the UK are estimated to have Shad as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4107
2023
Births in 2023
4
Latest year
Peak year
2005
15 births
Estimated living
163
2026
Meaning
What does Shad mean?
The given name Shad has its origins in the Persian language, where it is derived from the word "shad," meaning "joy" or "happiness." This name has been in use since ancient times in the Persian-speaking regions of the Middle East and Central Asia.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shad can be found in the Shahnameh, an epic poem written by the renowned Persian poet Ferdowsi in the late 10th and early 11th centuries. In this literary masterpiece, Shad is mentioned as the name of a minor character.
During the medieval period, the name Shad was particularly popular among the Persian nobility and was borne by several notable figures. One such individual was Shad-e Mulk Aga, a powerful vizier who served under the Seljuk Sultanate in the 11th century.
In the 13th century, a famous poet and mystic named Shad Kermani lived in the city of Kerman, located in modern-day Iran. His poetic works, which celebrated the beauty of nature and the spiritual journey, are still studied and admired today.
Another historically significant bearer of the name Shad was Shad Qazi, a renowned Islamic scholar and jurist who lived in the 15th century. He is credited with contributing significantly to the development of Islamic jurisprudence during the Timurid dynasty.
In more recent times, one of the most notable individuals named Shad was Shad Khan, a Pakistani-American billionaire businessman and sports team owner. Born in 1950, Khan is the owner of the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars and the Premier League's Fulham F.C.
While the name Shad has its roots in the Persian language, it has also been adopted by other cultures and languages over time, although its usage may vary in pronunciation and spelling.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Shad over time
The chart below shows babies named Shad registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2000 to 2023. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Shad, the clearest high point is 2005. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2023, compared with 15 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shad by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Shad was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #2999 | 26 | 4 |
| 2010s | #2465 | 85 | 10 |
| 2000s | #2620 | 53 | 8 |
Related
Names similar to Shad
- Samuel 108,505
- Sebastian 33,008
- Sam 20,889
- Stanley 16,354
- Sonny 15,028
- Sean 15,006
- Scott 12,587
- Seth 9,841
- Syed 9,050
- Stephen 8,884
- Spencer 8,333
- Steven 6,970
FAQ
Shad: questions and answers
How popular is the name Shad in the UK right now?
In 2023, Shad was ranked #4107 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Shad most popular?
The peak year on record was 2005, with 15 babies registered as Shad in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Shad?
A variant of the Persian name Shadi meaning "joyful" or "happy".
How many people are called Shad in the UK?
A total of 164 babies have been registered as Shad across the 22 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.