Shakita
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "graceful" or "wonderful woman".
Name Census estimates that about 1,135 living Americans carry the first name Shakita. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shakita today is around 40 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shakita births was 1986 (81 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shakita. 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
1.1K
~ 1 in 301,986 Americans
Peak year
1986
81 babies that year
Average age
40
years old
2001 SSA rank
#17,497
Tracked since 1974
Popularity
Shakita: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shakita from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 666 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
Shakita 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 Shakita during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Shakitas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 13 states and territories. Illinois, Florida, Georgia recorded the most babies named Shakita, while New York, Alabama, Tennessee recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 40 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Shakita
The name Shakita is of African origin, derived from the Swahili word "shaka," meaning "thankful" or "grateful." Its roots can be traced back to the Bantu languages spoken in various parts of East and Central Africa.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the name gained popularity among African-American communities in the United States, particularly in the southern states. It was a reflection of the cultural heritage and pride in African roots during a time when many African Americans sought to reconnect with their ancestral identities.
One of the earliest documented uses of the name Shakita can be found in historical records from the late 19th century. In 1892, Shakita Johnson, an African-American woman born in Mississippi, was listed in census records, indicating the name's presence in the southern United States during that period.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Shakita. One such person was Shakita Green (born 1971), an American actress and singer best known for her role in the film "Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit" (1993). Another prominent figure was Shakita Jones (1961-2017), an American lawyer and political activist who served as the president of the National Bar Association from 2012 to 2013.
In the realm of sports, Shakita Robertson (born 1980) was a professional basketball player who played in the WNBA for the Los Angeles Sparks and the Houston Comets. Shakita Renee Tyler (born 1986) was an American track and field athlete who specialized in the high jump and won several NCAA championships.
Additionally, Shakita Wilkins (born 1978) was a renowned American chef and cookbook author who gained recognition for her expertise in Southern cuisine and her efforts to promote healthy eating in underserved communities.
While the name Shakita may have originated from a specific cultural and linguistic background, it has transcended geographical boundaries and become a part of the diverse tapestry of names celebrated across the globe, with each bearer contributing to its rich history and legacy.
People
Shakita + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shakita 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
Shakita: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shakita?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,135 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shakita 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 301,986 US residents.
Is Shakita a common name?
We classify Shakita as "Rare". It ranks above 90.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,202 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shakita most popular?
The single biggest year for Shakita was 1986, when 81 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shakita is about 40 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Shakita a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shakita 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.