Shem was Noah’s son who became an ancestor in the biblical genealogies leading to Abraham.
Genesis names Shem, Ham, and Japheth as Noah’s three sons. In Genesis 10, the genealogical line of Shem is developed separately, and Genesis 11 continues that line through successive generations to Terah, the father of Abram, later called Abraham.
The name “Semite” is historically derived from Shem’s name through later linguistic and genealogical usage, although modern scholarship uses “Semitic” primarily as a language-family term rather than as a biological label. This makes Shem an important figure both in biblical genealogy and in the history of terminology.
Shem should not be confused with Ham, whose descendants are listed in another branch of Genesis 10, or Japheth, whose descendants form a third branch. Canaan is identified as a son of Ham, not as one of Noah’s sons. The genealogical answer is therefore specifically Shem.