Shakti
A feminine Sanskrit name signifying divine force or empowerment.
Name Census estimates that about 209 living Americans carry the first name Shakti. It is a predominantly female name (94.8% of registrations). The average person named Shakti today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shakti births was 2017 (20 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shakti. 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
209
~ 1 in 1,639,973 Americans
Peak year
2017
20 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2017 SSA rank
#7,182
Tracked since 1987
Gender
Gender distribution for Shakti
Shakti leans heavily female at 94.8% of total registrations, but 11 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Shakti as a male name
- Ranked #11,993 in 2017
- 6 male births in 2017
- Peak: 2017 (6 births)
Shakti as a female name
- Ranked #7,182 in 2024
- 16 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (16 births)
Popularity
Shakti: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shakti from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 88 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Shakti remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shakti 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 Shakti during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Shaktis live
Origin
Meaning and history of Shakti
Shakti is a name of Sanskrit origin, derived from the ancient Indian language. The word "shakti" itself means "power" or "energy" in Sanskrit, and it has been used in various Hindu texts and philosophies. The name traces its roots back to ancient Hindu mythology and religious beliefs.
In Hinduism, Shakti is often personified as the divine feminine energy, the embodiment of the creative and nurturing force of the universe. This concept is closely associated with the worship of various Hindu goddesses, such as Parvati, Durga, and Kali, who are revered as manifestations of Shakti.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Shakti can be found in the Vedas, the ancient Hindu scriptures. In the Rig Veda, one of the oldest texts in the world, there are hymns dedicated to the worship of the divine feminine power, often referred to as Shakti.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Shakti. One of the earliest recorded examples is Shakti Singh (1601-1670), a renowned warrior and ruler from the Bundela dynasty in central India. He was known for his bravery and military prowess, and his name reflected the power and strength he embodied.
Another significant figure was Shakti Chandra Chattopadhyay (1867-1938), a Bengali writer and social reformer. He was a prominent figure in the Bengali Renaissance movement and advocated for women's education and the abolition of the caste system.
Shakti Samanta (1926-2009) was an acclaimed Indian film director and screenwriter. He directed several influential films in the Bengali cinema industry and received numerous accolades, including the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest honor in cinema.
Shakti Kapoor (born 1952) is a popular Indian actor known for his work in Bollywood films. He has appeared in over 700 movies and is particularly renowned for his roles in comedic and villainous characters.
Shakti Gawain (born 1948) is an American author and pioneer in the field of personal development and self-help literature. Her book "Creative Visualization" became a bestseller and popularized the concept of using visualization techniques for personal growth and manifestation.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the name Shakti throughout history, each making their mark in different fields and embodying the power and energy associated with this ancient Sanskrit word.
People
Shakti + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shakti 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
Shakti: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shakti?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 209 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shakti 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 1,639,973 US residents.
Is Shakti a common name?
We classify Shakti as "Very Rare". It ranks above 74.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 211 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shakti most popular?
The single biggest year for Shakti was 2017, when 20 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shakti is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Shakti a female name?
Yes, 94.8% of people registered as Shakti 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.