Holding steady.
Popularity of Shaft since 1971
Babies named Shaft per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 85 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 18 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Shaft is a rare modern given name that first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1971, directly following the release of the 1971 film 'Shaft'. Its peak year of use was 1972, but it has never ranked in the top 1000. The name's trajectory has been stable but extremely low, with very few boys receiving the name each year. It has no recorded top states, indicating its national rarity. As a modern coinage tied to a single iconic character, Shaft has not entered mainstream use and remains a novelty choice.
Shaft first appeared as a given name in 1971, coinciding with the release of the film 'Shaft' (1971) and its iconic protagonist John Shaft. It is a rare modern coinage derived from the surname Shaft, which itself has Old English origins meaning 'a shaft' (as in a spear or arrow). The name did not see significant traditional use before the 1970s and remains uncommon.
Sibling names for Shaft
Names that share Shaft's style, for a brother or sister.
