Shiri
A feminine Hebrew name meaning "my song" or "my poem".
Name Census estimates that about 209 living Americans carry the first name Shiri. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shiri today is around 33 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shiri births was 1978 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shiri. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
209
~ 1 in 1,639,973 Americans
Peak year
1978
12 babies that year
Average age
33
years old
2020 SSA rank
#13,270
Tracked since 1960
Popularity
Shiri: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shiri from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 70 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shiri by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Shiri during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Shiris live
Origin
Meaning and history of Shiri
The name Shiri has its roots in the Hebrew language and can be traced back to ancient times. The name is derived from the Hebrew word "shir," which means "song" or "poetry." This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals who had a talent for music or poetic expression.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shiri can be found in the Hebrew Bible, specifically in the Book of Samuel. The name is mentioned in reference to a woman named Shiri, who was the mother of Ittai the Gittite, a loyal companion of King David.
Throughout history, the name Shiri has been borne by several notable figures. One of the earliest known individuals with this name was Shiri ben Yehoshua, a Jewish scholar who lived in the 12th century and was renowned for his commentaries on the Torah and the Talmud.
Another prominent figure was Shiri Maimon, an Israeli singer and actress who gained popularity in the 1960s and 1970s. She was born in 1935 and was known for her unique blend of traditional Middle Eastern music with contemporary styles.
In the realm of sports, Shiri Spitzer (born 1975) is an Israeli long-distance runner who has competed in multiple Olympic Games and held several national records.
Shiri Appleby (born 1979) is an American actress best known for her roles in television series such as "Roswell" and "UnREAL."
Shiri Zandani (born 1981) is an Israeli fashion model and actress who has appeared in numerous commercials and television shows.
It's worth noting that while the name Shiri is primarily associated with Hebrew and Israeli culture, it has also gained popularity in other parts of the world, particularly among individuals with Jewish heritage or those drawn to the name's melodic sound and meaningful origins.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Shiri
People
Shiri + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shiri as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Shiri: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shiri?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 209 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shiri going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,639,973 US residents.
Is Shiri a common name?
We classify Shiri as "Very Rare". It ranks above 74.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 219 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shiri most popular?
The single biggest year for Shiri was 1978, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shiri is about 33 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Shiri a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shiri in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.