How Many People Are Named Shamel?
An estimated 1,136 people in the United States have the first name Shamel. It is used for both genders, with 86.8% male. The average bearer is 33 years old, and Shamel peaked in popularity in 1993 with 57 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Shamel as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Shamel paired with any surname.
Estimated Living Americans
1,136
About 1 in 301,720 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Rare
Predicted Gender
Male
86.8% confidence
Average Age
33
years old
Peak Year
1993
57 births
Total Registered
1,175
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Shamel
Shamel is predominantly male (86.8%), though 155 female births have been registered. It functions as a unisex name for a small percentage of bearers.
Shamel as a male name
Ranked #13,858 in 2023
5 male births in 2023
Peak: 1993 (42 births)
Shamel as a female name
Ranked #13,187 in 1996
6 female births in 1996
Peak: 1977 (15 births)
Shamel in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 909 people with the first name Shamel, which placed it at #13,331 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Shamel was recorded as predominantly male. Out of 909 people with this name in that snapshot, 80.4% were male and 19.6% were female. That is less heavily male than the long-run SSA birth pattern on this page, which sits at 86.8% male.
Census Count
909
people with this name
Census Rank
#13,331
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
0.30
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Shamel was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Black (78.53%). The next largest recorded groups were Hispanic (8.65%) and White (6.68%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Shamel in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Shamel.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Black | 78.53% | 717 |
| Hispanic | 8.65% | 79 |
| White | 6.68% | 61 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 3.07% | 28 |
| Two or More Races | 2.85% | 26 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.22% | 2 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Shamel: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Shamel span from the 1970s to the 2020s, covering 6 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1990s, when 370 babies were registered. Shamel has declined significantly from its peak in the 1990s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Shamel by Decade
How has Shamel tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Shamel by State
Birth registrations for Shamel span all 3 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania. The lowest are in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, New York. On average, about 244 Shamels were registered per state.
Shamel + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Shamel as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Shamel
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
Shamel: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shamel?
We estimate approximately 1,136 people named Shamel are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 301,720 Americans share this first name.
Is Shamel a common name?
Shamel is classified as "Rare" and is more popular than 90.9% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 1,175 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Shamel most popular?
Shamel reached peak popularity in 1993, when 57 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Shamel is approximately 33 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Shamel in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 909 people with the first name Shamel. That placed it at #13,331 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.30 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Shamel was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Shamel?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Shamel was recorded as predominantly male. The published split was 80.4% male and 19.6% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Shamel?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Shamel was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Black (78.53%). The next largest recorded groups were Hispanic (8.65%) and White (6.68%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Shamel a male name?
Shamel is predominantly male. 86.8% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Shamel have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Shamel peaked in 1993, and the average living bearer is about 33 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Shamel Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Shamel Smith, Shamel Johnson, Shamel Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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