Given name & surname
Shaw
“wood, copse”·“from the woodland”
Shaw is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “wood, copse” and “from the woodland” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “wood, copse” and “from the woodland” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
How it developed
In Scottish use, Shaw is used as a form of Seaghdh.
The story
Its naming history includes the use of a family name as a given name.
Shaw through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,398
- 1,336 boys · 62 girls
- Most popular year
- 2016
- 39 babies
- 2025
- 27
- #4,836 for boys · #14,682 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −14%
- Easing
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 21 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 4,836 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 14.8% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 6 birth records for girls in 2025. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,683 as a first name in 2020; 155,184 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.
Shaw’s family of names
Shaw is an English adaptation of Seaghdh. Shaw has a related form in Shawe.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Shaw
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
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