Shakar
A masculine name of Arabic origin meaning "grateful" or "thankful".
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Shakar. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Shakar today is around 30 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shakar births was 1994 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shakar. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Shakar with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Shakar. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
1994
5 babies that year
Average age
30
years old
1997 SSA rank
#10,555
Tracked since 1994
Popularity
Shakar: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Shakar 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 Shakar during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 10 | 0 | 10 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Shakar
The name Shakar has its roots in the Persian language and is derived from the word "shakar," which means "sugar" in Persian. This name originated in ancient Persia, which is now modern-day Iran, and dates back to the 6th century BCE.
In ancient Persian culture, sugar was a highly prized commodity, and the name Shakar was often given to children as a symbol of sweetness and prosperity. The name was also associated with wealth and luxury, as sugar was a rare and expensive ingredient in those times.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shakar can be found in the ancient Persian epic poem, the Shahnameh, written by the renowned poet Ferdowsi in the late 10th century CE. In this epic, Shakar is mentioned as the name of a character, albeit a minor one.
Throughout history, there have been several notable figures who bore the name Shakar. One of the most famous was Shakar Khan Afshar, a military commander and ruler of the Afsharid dynasty in Persia during the 18th century (1694-1795). He played a significant role in the consolidation of power in the region and was known for his military prowess.
Another renowned individual with the name Shakar was Shakar Khan Suri, an Afghan military commander and chief minister of the Mughal Empire in the 16th century (1519-1556). He played a crucial role in the expansion of the Mughal Empire and was known for his administrative skills.
In the realm of literature, Shakar Husain Khan was a celebrated Urdu poet and writer from the 19th century (1813-1884). He was a prominent figure in the literary circles of Delhi and is renowned for his contributions to Urdu poetry and prose.
Moving to more recent times, Shakar Khan Khel was a prominent Afghan politician and tribal leader in the early 20th century (1868-1938). He played a significant role in the Afghan resistance against British colonial rule and was a influential figure in the region.
Lastly, Shakar Hussain was a renowned Pakistani musician and singer who was active in the 20th century (1923-1988). He was renowned for his contributions to the classical music tradition of Pakistan and is considered a master of the ghazal genre.
People
Shakar + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shakar 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
Shakar: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shakar?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shakar 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 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Shakar a common name?
We classify Shakar as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shakar most popular?
The single biggest year for Shakar was 1994, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shakar is about 30 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Shakar in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Shakar a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shakar in the SSA data are male. 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.
Is Shakar still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Shakar in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Shakar can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Shakar as a first name?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.