Given name & surname
Shale
“a mountain rock”
Shale is a variant of Shail. One Indian interpretation is “a mountain rock.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Shale is a variant of Shail. One Indian interpretation is “a mountain rock.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Shale is a variant of Shail. An origin associated with Shail is Indian.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1972. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Shale through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 77
- 56 boys · 21 girls
- Most popular year
- 1996
- 11 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for girls is 5 in 2007. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for girls was 6 in 1996. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 257 as a first name in 2020; 199 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Similar names
If you love Shale, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Desmone
87% boys · 13% girls
Hardeep
74% boys · 26% girls
Shailen
94% boys · 6% girls
Deaven
76% boys · 24% girls
Ryhan
84% boys · 16% girls
Kaelan
“a mighty warrior”
85% boys · 15% girls
Wen
“one who is fairskinned” · “a beloved friend”
55% boys · 45% girls
Emrah
“one who is brotherly”
83% boys · 17% girls