In the Genesis flood story, Noah’s first named son is Shem.
Genesis lists Noah’s sons as Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Shem is placed first in that repeated sequence, including the genealogy that follows the flood. He is presented as the ancestor of a line that eventually includes the Israelites and several other peoples described in Genesis 10.
The order of names should not be confused with the ages or birth order of the sons. Genesis 5:32 introduces Noah as the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, while later wording can lead readers to debate the sons’ relative ages. The straightforward canonical list begins with Shem.
Canaan is not one of Noah’s sons; he is named as a son of Ham. That distinction is important because the flood account later discusses Noah’s sons and Canaan separately. Shem’s name also gives rise to the term “Semitic” in later historical and linguistic usage, though that modern term has a broader scholarly history.