Surname Шем (Shem 
, Chem 
, Шем 
) , in the world, is a common cognomen. The surname Шем is habitual in Vanuatu, where it is a common surname, Algeria, where it is quite a rare surname, and Kenya. Measured by absolute frequency, this name is the most popular in Kenya, Algeria, and Nigeria. Likewise, Шем is the forename as well as the last name.