Shams is a distinctive choice, ranked #2412 in 2024. Your child is likely to be the only Shams in their class.
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UK Rank 2024
#2412
About the Name Shams
Shams is currently at its most popular point on record, sitting at UK #2412. The name has climbed 1487 places in the last five years — a significant surge by any measure. The name has been a regular feature in UK records since 1997.
Shams is distinctive enough that your child will likely be the only one in both their class and their school — standing out on every register.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Shams
Unlikely. With around 11 UK babies named Shams per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Shams in his class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Shams is currently rising in popularity in the UK, up 1487 places over the last five years to #2412 in 2024. If this trend continues, it will become more common in classrooms over the next decade.
Shams is a distinctive choice sitting outside the mainstream UK top names. Parents choosing less common names often find their children appreciate the individuality as they grow up, rarely needing to add an initial to distinguish themselves.
Notable people named Shams include: Shams Mulani — Shams Mulani is an Indian cricketer who plays for Mumbai in domestic cricket and previously appeared for the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League.; Shams al-Din Kabbashi — Lieutenant General Shams al-Din Kabbashi, is a Sudanese military officer and academic.; Shams Charania — Shams Charania is an American sports reporter for ESPN, where he covers the National Basketball Association..
Shams does not appear in the US top 1,000 baby names, making it a distinctively British choice — your child is unlikely to encounter American Shamss in the wild.
11
UK babies named Shams (2024)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↑ 1487 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Shams
Likely around 1 other Shams in the class
UK Popularity (1997–2024)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
No US data available for this name
✨ Similar names to Shams
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Shams Mulani is an Indian cricketer who plays for Mumbai in domestic cricket and previously appeared for the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League. He made his Twenty20 debut for Mumbai in the 2017–18 Zonal T20 League on 11 January 2018.
Lieutenant General Shams al-Din Kabbashi, is a Sudanese military officer and academic. He holds the distinction of being the fifth military member of the Sudanese Sovereign Council, a significant political body formed following the ousting of President Omar al-Bashir in 2019.
Shams Pahlavi28 October 1917 –29 February 1996) was an Iranian royal and the elder sister of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran. During her brother's reign, she was the president of the Red Lion and Sun Society.
Shams al-Dīn Abū ʿAbd Allāh Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad al-Khalīlī was a Mamluk-era Syrian astronomer who compiled astronomical tables. He worked for most of his life as a muwaqqit (a religious timekeeper) at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus.
Shams Charania is an American sports reporter for ESPN, where he covers the National Basketball Association. He previously worked for The Athletic, Stadium, and FanDuel TV.
Fatemeh Shams, also known as Shahrzad F. Shams (Persian: فاطمه شمس) is a contemporary Persian poet, literary scholar and translator, currently based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and teaching Persian literature at the University of Pennsylvania.