Rising since 2003, #4,539 for boys today.
Popularity of Shaheen since 1971
Babies named Shaheen per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1990, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Shaheen's real moment was 2025.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls | Boys |
|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 56 | 38 |
| 1980s | 68 | 128 |
| 1990s | 19 | 155 |
| 2000s | 0 | 78 |
| 2010s | 0 | 88 |
| 2020s | 0 | 105 |
Meaning & origin
Shaheen has been recorded in U.S. births since 1972, but has remained relatively uncommon. Its popularity has been rising steadily since 2003, reflecting broader interest in Arabic and Persian names. The name reached its peak rank in 2025, although it still lies well outside the top 1,000. Shaheen is largely used by families with Middle Eastern or South Asian heritage, and it is not concentrated in any single U.S. state. The name's direct association with the falcon gives it a strong, noble image without overbearing cultural weight.
Shaheen derives from the Persian šāhīn (شاهین), meaning 'royal falcon' or 'peregrine falcon'. It entered Arabic as a given name and epithet, associated with nobility, keen vision, and swiftness. The name has been used across the Middle East and South Asia, notably among Muslim families.
“Shaheen” around the world
Where Shaheen lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
10
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Shah, Sheen
Variants: Shahin, Shaahin
Sibling names for Shaheen
Names that share Shaheen's style, for a brother or sister.
