According to Genesis, the first son listed in the Ark story is Shem.
Genesis 7:13 names Shem first when it describes Noah entering the Ark with his wife, his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and their wives. The same three sons are introduced earlier in Genesis 5:32 and appear again in the account after the Flood.
Shem’s name comes first in the biblical listing, but Genesis does not necessarily present that order as a clear statement of birth order. Elsewhere, the text’s wording and later genealogies have prompted different interpretations about the sons’ relative ages.
Shem becomes especially prominent in Genesis 10 and 11, where the text traces descendants through his line. The term “Semitic” was later formed from the name Shem, although modern language and population classifications do not map perfectly onto a single biblical genealogy.