Shaking
An English name denoting the act of trembling or vibrating.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Shaking. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Shaking today is around 34 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shaking births was 1991 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shaking. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Shaking. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1991
5 babies that year
Average age
34
years old
1991 SSA rank
#9,400
Tracked since 1991
Popularity
Shaking: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Shaking 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 Shaking 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 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Shaking
The given name Shaking has its origins in the ancient Sumerian language, one of the earliest known written languages dating back to the 4th millennium BCE. It is derived from the Sumerian word "shakingu," which means "to tremble" or "to shake." This name was likely given to individuals who were perceived as having a trembling or shaking nature, or perhaps to commemorate a significant event or circumstance that involved shaking or trembling.
The earliest recorded use of the name Shaking can be traced back to the Sumerian cuneiform tablets from the city-state of Uruk, located in present-day Iraq. These ancient tablets document various individuals with the name Shaking, indicating its use as a personal name during the early stages of human civilization.
In the Sumerian epic of Gilgamesh, one of the oldest known literary works dating back to around 2100 BCE, there is a character named Shaking who is mentioned as a skilled hunter and warrior. This reference suggests that the name was associated with strength, courage, and prowess in ancient Sumerian culture.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the name Shaking. One of the earliest examples is Shaking of Ur, a renowned Sumerian poet and scholar who lived around 2600 BCE. His works, which include hymns and lamentations, provide valuable insights into the religious and cultural beliefs of ancient Sumer.
Another prominent figure was Shaking the Great, a Babylonian king who ruled from 1792 BCE to 1750 BCE. He is known for his military conquests and for establishing the Babylonian Empire as a major power in the ancient Near East.
In ancient Egypt, there was a high priest named Shaking who served during the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses II (circa 1279-1213 BCE). He played a significant role in the religious ceremonies and rituals of the time, and his name is inscribed on several temple walls and monuments.
During the classical Greek period, a philosopher named Shaking of Miletus lived in the 6th century BCE. He is credited with being one of the earliest thinkers to propose the idea of a single, unifying principle underlying the universe, laying the foundation for future philosophical and scientific advancements.
In the medieval Islamic world, there was a renowned scholar and physician named Shaking al-Razi, who lived from 865 CE to 925 CE. He made significant contributions to the fields of medicine, philosophy, and alchemy, and his works were widely studied and influential throughout the Islamic Golden Age.
These examples illustrate the diverse range of historical figures who have borne the name Shaking, spanning various cultures, time periods, and fields of endeavor.
People
Shaking + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shaking 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
Shaking: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shaking?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shaking 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Shaking a common name?
We classify Shaking as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shaking most popular?
The single biggest year for Shaking was 1991, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shaking is about 34 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 Shaking in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Shaking a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shaking 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 Shaking still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Shaking 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 Shaking 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 Shaking as a first name?
If you just want to know how many people have the name Shaking, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.