Shakeya
A feminine name of African American origin meaning "She walked gracefully".
Name Census estimates that about 683 living Americans carry the first name Shakeya. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shakeya today is around 38 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shakeya births was 1993 (50 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shakeya. 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
683
~ 1 in 501,837 Americans
Peak year
1993
50 babies that year
Average age
38
years old
2010 SSA rank
#19,385
Tracked since 1975
Popularity
Shakeya: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shakeya 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 329 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
Shakeya 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 Shakeya during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Shakeyas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 9 states and territories. New York, Pennsylvania, North Carolina recorded the most babies named Shakeya, while Virginia, South Carolina, Illinois recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 23 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Shakeya
The name Shakeya has its origins in the Arabic language and culture. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period in the Middle East. The name is derived from the Arabic word "shak," which means "doubt" or "skepticism." It is speculated that the name was initially given to children as a reminder to approach life with a healthy dose of questioning and critical thinking.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shakeya can be found in a 12th-century manuscript from the court of the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad. The manuscript mentions a renowned scholar and philosopher named Shakeya ibn Khalid, who was known for his insightful writings on epistemology and the pursuit of knowledge.
In the 14th century, the name gained further prominence with Shakeya al-Dimashqi, a Syrian poet and author who was celebrated for her intricate verses and her contributions to the literary traditions of the Arabic Golden Age. Her works often explored themes of love, spirituality, and the complexities of the human experience.
Moving forward in history, we encounter Shakeya al-Qahirah, a 16th-century Egyptian polymath who made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics, astronomy, and engineering. She is credited with designing innovative water clocks and intricate astronomical instruments that helped advance scientific understanding during her time.
In the 18th century, the name appears in the form of Shakeya al-Mahdiya, a Moroccan scholar and educator who played a pivotal role in establishing one of the earliest schools for girls in the region. Her efforts to promote education and empower women were groundbreaking for that era.
Another notable figure bearing the name Shakeya is the 19th-century Sudanese activist and abolitionists, Shakeya bint Abdu. She dedicated her life to fighting against the slave trade and advocating for the rights of marginalized communities in her homeland. Her courageous actions and unwavering commitment to justice left an indelible mark on the anti-slavery movement of that time.
People
Shakeya + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shakeya 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
Shakeya: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shakeya?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 683 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shakeya 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 501,837 US residents.
Is Shakeya a common name?
We classify Shakeya as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 718 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shakeya most popular?
The single biggest year for Shakeya was 1993, when 50 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shakeya is about 38 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Shakeya a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shakeya 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.