UK boy's name
Shamar
A masculine given name of Arabic origin meaning "guardian" or "protector".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Shamar is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Shamar popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4270, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2007, with 13 births.
This profile covers 119 England and Wales registrations across 21 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. 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 31% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 118 living people in the UK are called Shamar. 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 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Shamar ranked #4270 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2007, when 13 boys were registered as Shamar.
- • About 118 living people in the UK are estimated to have Shamar as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4270
2024
Births in 2024
4
Latest year
Peak year
2007
13 births
Estimated living
118
2026
Meaning
What does Shamar mean?
The name Shamar is of Hebrew origin, derived from the Biblical Hebrew word "shomer," which means "to guard" or "to keep watch." It is believed to have been used as a name in ancient Judea and Israel during the biblical era.
In the Hebrew Bible, the word "shomer" appears multiple times, often referring to watchmen or guardians. For instance, in the Book of Ezekiel, the prophet is referred to as a "watchman" (shomer) for the house of Israel, tasked with warning the people of impending danger.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shamar is found in the Book of Genesis, where it is mentioned as the name of a son of Reuben, one of the twelve tribes of Israel. This Shamar lived around the 17th century BCE.
Another notable figure in history with the name Shamar was Shamar son of Hoshai, a high-ranking official during the reign of King David in the 10th century BCE. He is mentioned in the Book of 1 Chronicles as being in charge of vineyards.
In the 9th century BCE, Shamar son of Amri was a military commander who served under King Jehoram of Judah. He is mentioned in the Book of 2 Chronicles for his role in defending the city of Ramoth-Gilead.
During the Islamic Golden Age, there was a famous Arab mathematician and astronomer named Shamar al-Bukhari, who lived in the 9th century CE. He is known for his contributions to the development of trigonometry and his work on the calculation of the obliquity of the ecliptic.
In more recent history, one of the most notable figures with the name Shamar was Shamar Rinpoche, a prominent Tibetan Buddhist lama and teacher who lived from 1940 to 2016. He played a significant role in the preservation and transmission of the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Shamar over time
The chart below shows babies named Shamar registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Shamar, the clearest high point is 2007. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2024, compared with 13 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shamar by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Shamar 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 | #4530 | 7 | 2 |
| 2010s | #3740 | 37 | 8 |
| 2000s | #2184 | 67 | 9 |
| 1990s | #2443 | 8 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Shamar
- 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
Shamar: questions and answers
How popular is the name Shamar in the UK right now?
In 2024, Shamar was ranked #4270 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Shamar most popular?
The peak year on record was 2007, with 13 babies registered as Shamar in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Shamar?
A masculine given name of Arabic origin meaning "guardian" or "protector".
How many people are called Shamar in the UK?
A total of 119 babies have been registered as Shamar across the 21 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.