Shakila
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "beautiful woman" or "pretty one".
Name Census estimates that about 512 living Americans carry the first name Shakila. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shakila today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shakila births was 1992 (75 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shakila. 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
512
~ 1 in 669,442 Americans
Peak year
1992
75 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
2011 SSA rank
#19,116
Tracked since 1975
Popularity
Shakila: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shakila 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 268 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
Shakila 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 Shakila during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Shakilas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. New York, North Carolina, Virginia recorded the most babies named Shakila, while Ohio, New Jersey, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 10 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Shakila
The name Shakila is of Arabic origin, derived from the word "shakeel," which means "beautiful" or "graceful." This name has been in use since ancient times, particularly in the Middle Eastern and Islamic cultures.
The earliest recorded use of the name Shakila dates back to the 7th century, during the Islamic Golden Age. It is believed that some of the earliest bearers of this name were women who lived during this era, known for their beauty and elegance.
In Islamic literature and poetry, the name Shakila is often associated with descriptions of feminine beauty and grace. It has been used in various Arabic and Persian literary works, such as the famous poetry collections of the renowned poets Rumi and Hafez.
One of the earliest notable historical figures to bear the name Shakila was Shakila bint Al-Husayn (born around 680 CE), a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad and a respected scholar in her own right. She was known for her knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence and her contributions to the intellectual discourse of her time.
Another prominent figure named Shakila was Shakila al-Kurdiyya (born around 1050 CE), a Kurdish princess and poet who lived during the Seljuk Empire. Her poetry, which celebrated love and beauty, has been preserved and studied by scholars over the centuries.
In the 12th century, there was Shakila Khatun, a powerful and influential woman who served as the regent of the Delhi Sultanate for a brief period. She played a crucial role in the political affairs of the region during her time.
Moving forward in history, Shakila Thabit (1829-1893) was a renowned Egyptian poet and writer who contributed significantly to the Arabic literary renaissance of the 19th century. Her works explored themes of love, freedom, and social justice, and she was celebrated for her eloquence and mastery of the Arabic language.
Lastly, Shakila Zafar (1934-2005) was a prominent Pakistani singer and actress who gained immense popularity in the 1960s and 1970s. She was revered for her melodious voice and her contributions to the Pakistani film industry, leaving a lasting legacy in the world of music and entertainment.
People
Shakila + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shakila 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
Shakila: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shakila?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 512 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shakila 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 669,442 US residents.
Is Shakila a common name?
We classify Shakila as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 536 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shakila most popular?
The single biggest year for Shakila was 1992, when 75 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shakila is about 35 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Shakila a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shakila 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.