Shakia
An Arabic name meaning "thankful" or "grateful".
Name Census estimates that about 2,253 living Americans carry the first name Shakia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shakia today is around 36 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shakia births was 1993 (153 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shakia. 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
2.3K
~ 1 in 152,132 Americans
Peak year
1993
153 babies that year
Average age
36
years old
2016 SSA rank
#15,942
Tracked since 1974
Popularity
Shakia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shakia from the 1970s through to the 2010s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 950 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shakia 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 Shakia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Shakias live
The SSA's state-level files cover 17 states and territories. New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland recorded the most babies named Shakia, while Connecticut, Alabama, Ohio recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 78 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Shakia
The name Shakia originates from the Arabic language and culture, with roots dating back to the 7th century AD. It is derived from the Arabic word "shakir," which means "grateful" or "thankful." This name gained prominence during the early Islamic era, as it embodied the virtues of gratitude and appreciation towards the divine blessings.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Shakia can be found in the historical texts of the Abbasid Caliphate, where it was used as a personal name by members of the ruling elite. The name's association with Islamic values and teachings contributed to its widespread use among the Muslim population during that time period.
In the 11th century, Shakia gained further recognition as the name of a renowned female scholar and poet from Persia. Shakia bint al-Husayn al-Isfahani was celebrated for her literary works, which explored themes of love, spirituality, and the human condition. Her contributions to Persian literature and cultural development cemented the name's legacy in the region.
Throughout the centuries, the name Shakia has been carried by notable individuals across various fields. One such figure was Shakia al-Misri, a 13th-century Egyptian mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and the development of astronomical instruments.
In the realm of religion, Shakia al-Baghdadi, born in 1160, was a renowned Sufi mystic and scholar from Baghdad. Her teachings on spirituality and the pursuit of divine knowledge influenced generations of followers and left a lasting impact on the Sufi tradition.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Shakia al-Andalusi, a 12th-century poet and scholar from Al-Andalus (modern-day Spain). Her poetic works, which celebrated the beauty of nature and the human experience, were widely admired and helped shape the literary landscape of the era.
While the name Shakia has its roots in the Arabic and Islamic world, it has also transcended cultural boundaries and found a place in various societies and traditions throughout history. Its meaning and significance have evolved over time, yet it remains a testament to the enduring appreciation for gratitude and thankfulness across diverse cultures.
People
Shakia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shakia 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
Shakia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shakia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,253 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shakia 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 152,132 US residents.
Is Shakia a common name?
We classify Shakia as "Rare". It ranks above 94.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,358 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shakia most popular?
The single biggest year for Shakia was 1993, when 153 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shakia is about 36 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Shakia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shakia 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.