Sakia
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "giver of water".
Name Census estimates that about 250 living Americans carry the first name Sakia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Sakia today is around 36 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sakia births was 1980 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sakia. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
250
~ 1 in 1,371,017 Americans
Peak year
1980
13 babies that year
Average age
36
years old
2010 SSA rank
#13,238
Tracked since 1974
Popularity
Sakia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sakia from the 1970s through to the 2010s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 91 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sakia by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Sakia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Sakia
The name Sakia has its origins in the ancient Sanskrit language, tracing back to around the 5th century BCE. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "sakhi," which means friend or companion. The name was primarily used in the Indian subcontinent during ancient times.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Sakia can be found in the Hindu epic Mahabharata, where it was used as a name for a character. In the text, Sakia is depicted as a loyal friend and confidante to one of the central characters.
During the medieval period, the name Sakia gained popularity among certain Buddhist communities in South and Southeast Asia. It was often given to individuals who were believed to possess qualities of kindness, compassion, and a spirit of camaraderie.
In the 6th century CE, a notable figure named Sakia Pandita lived in what is now modern-day Bangladesh. She was a renowned scholar and philosopher who made significant contributions to the study of Buddhist texts and teachings.
Another historical figure with the name Sakia was Sakia Devi, a 12th-century Hindu mystic and poet from the state of Rajasthan in India. Her devotional poems and spiritual compositions are still widely read and celebrated in certain parts of the region.
In the 15th century, a Buddhist monk named Sakia Thamang played a pivotal role in the spread of Buddhism in the Himalayan regions of Nepal and Bhutan. He is credited with establishing several monasteries and contributing to the preservation of Buddhist traditions in these areas.
During the 18th century, Sakia Malla was a prominent ruler of the Malla dynasty in Nepal. She is remembered for her patronage of the arts and her efforts in promoting cultural exchange and diplomacy with neighboring regions.
It is worth noting that while the name Sakia has ancient roots and historical significance, its usage has been relatively limited compared to some other names from the Indian subcontinent. However, it continues to hold cultural and spiritual significance for certain communities, particularly those with ties to Buddhist and Hindu traditions.
People
Sakia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sakia as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Sakia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sakia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 250 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sakia going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,371,017 US residents.
Is Sakia a common name?
We classify Sakia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 77.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 263 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sakia most popular?
The single biggest year for Sakia was 1980, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sakia is about 36 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Sakia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sakia in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.