Shia

Shia - A very unique male name

Shia appeared on the charts for the first time in 1986 on position #2087. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Shia and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Shia? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Shia. The baby boy name Shia was given to 104 baby boys in 2025, ranking #1279 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 14,099 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Shia peaked in popularity 5 years ago in 2021 on position 1204.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Shia, 1-5?

Shia is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Shia is currently topping the baby name charts in New York at position #278 - and is the least popular in Texas at position #2,255.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Shia is where you live.

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Shia origin and meaning

Hebrew — derivation debated

Uncertain — commonly explained as from Hebrew shai, 'gift', plus the divine element Yah, 'gift of God', but the derivation is not firmly documented; it is unrelated to the Shia branch of Islam despite the shared spelling

Shia is a rare name whose US profile rests almost entirely on one bearer, actor Shia LaBeouf, and its data runs from 1986, his birth year. The 'gift of God' explanation is widely repeated but not well sourced, so we mark it uncertain. It should not be confused with the Islamic term, which comes from Arabic.

Origin uncertain

Shia is a 4 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Shia, pop culture references for the name Shia and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Shia

We've found the following names that sound similar to Shia, sorted by popularity.

Sage / Shea / Shay / Sky / Shaya / Shai / Skye / Sasha / Sai / Sekou /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Shia

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Shia a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Shia?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

SHY-uh · /ˈʃaɪə/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Famous bearers

• Shia LaBeouf — Actor known for Transformers and Honey Boy (b. 1986) Contemporary

Style

International

Why parents choose it

Shia is chosen by parents drawn to its soft sound and its one famous bearer.

Worth knowing

• Written identically to the Shia branch of Islam, which causes real confusion
• One dominant namesake: Shia LaBeouf