UK name, mostly girls
Shams
An Arabic masculine name meaning "the sun" or "radiant".
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.
Also recorded as a boys' name in the UK, with 42 boys.
Shams is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Shams popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2411, with 11 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 11 births.
This profile covers 84 England and Wales registrations across 14 recorded years from 1998 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.
Shams is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 84 living people in the UK are called Shams. 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
- • Shams ranked #2411 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 11 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2024, when 11 girls were registered as Shams.
- • Shams is also recorded for boys, but the girls side is the larger UK variant in these records.
- • About 84 living people in the UK are estimated to have Shams as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 66.7% of Shams registrations are for girls.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2411
2024
Births in 2024
11
Latest year
Peak year
2024
11 births
Estimated living
84
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Shams
In England and Wales birth records, Shams has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 33.3% of registrations are for boys and 66.7% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Shams registered for boys
- Ranked #4,991 in 2023
- 3 boys registered in 2023
- Peak: 2008 (5 births)
Shams registered for girls
- Ranked #2,411 in 2024
- 11 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (11 births)
Meaning
What does Shams mean?
The name Shams is of Arabic origin and can be traced back to the ancient Semitic languages. It is derived from the root word "shams" which means "sun" in Arabic. The name has been in use in the Middle East and the Arab world for centuries.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Shams can be found in the works of the great Persian poet and philosopher, Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi (1207-1273 CE). Rumi often referred to his spiritual mentor and companion, Shams-e Tabrizi, with the honorific title "Shams" which means "sun" in Persian.
In Islamic literature and history, the name Shams is also associated with Shams al-Ma'arif al-Kubra, a influential treatise on Islamic occult sciences and magic, written in the 13th century by Ahmad al-Buni. The name Shams has been a popular choice for Muslim parents, as it evokes the ideas of light, radiance, and divine illumination.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the given name Shams was Shams al-Din Muhammad ibn Qays al-Razi (1149-1209 CE), a renowned Persian physician, philosopher, and alchemist. Another notable figure was Shams al-Din al-Hafiz al-Dimashqi (1260-1349 CE), a prominent Syrian scholar and poet during the Mamluk period.
In more recent history, Shams Pahlavi (1917-1996) was an Iranian princess and the eldest daughter of Reza Shah Pahlavi, the former Shah of Iran. She was known for her philanthropic work and efforts to promote education and women's rights in Iran.
Shams Charania (born 1993) is a Canadian sports journalist and NBA insider, renowned for his reporting and breaking news on player trades and transactions in the National Basketball Association.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the given name Shams throughout history, showcasing its enduring popularity and significance across various cultures and time periods.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Shams over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Shams in England and Wales, from 1997 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 Shams, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 11 births in 2024, compared with 11 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shams by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Shams 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 | #2840 | 44 | 5 |
| 2010s | #4480 | 33 | 7 |
| 2000s | #4294 | 4 | 1 |
| 1990s | #3848 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Shams
- Sophie 103,803
- Sophia 46,936
- Scarlett 34,261
- Sienna 32,418
- Sofia 29,136
- Sarah 27,961
- Shannon 25,510
- Summer 24,167
- Sara 14,205
- Skye 13,654
- Samantha 12,697
- Stephanie 9,309
FAQ
Shams: questions and answers
How popular is the name Shams in the UK right now?
In 2024, Shams was ranked #2411 for girls in England and Wales, with 11 births registered.
When was Shams most popular?
The peak year on record was 2024, with 11 babies registered as Shams in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Shams?
An Arabic masculine name meaning "the sun" or "radiant".
How many people are called Shams in the UK?
A total of 84 babies have been registered as Shams across the 14 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.