Shakye
A unisex name of African-American origin meaning "she walks with grace".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Shakye. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Shakye today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shakye births was 2009 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shakye. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Shakye with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Shakye. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2009
5 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2009 SSA rank
#14,164
Tracked since 2009
Popularity
Shakye: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Shakye 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 Shakye during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Shakye
The name Shakye has its origins in the ancient Sanskrit language, which was primarily spoken in the Indian subcontinent during the first millennium BCE. It is derived from the root word "shakti," meaning power, strength, or energy. This root is closely associated with the concept of the divine feminine principle in Hindu philosophy and mythology.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shakye can be found in the Vedic scriptures, which are among the oldest sacred texts in the Hindu tradition. Specifically, it appears as a reference to the goddess Shakti, who is often depicted as the consort or female counterpart of the god Shiva. In these texts, Shakti is revered as the embodiment of the primordial cosmic energy that drives the universe.
During the medieval period, the name Shakye gained prominence in various parts of the Indian subcontinent, particularly in regions where Tantric traditions and goddess worship were prevalent. It was not uncommon for devotees of the goddess Shakti to name their daughters Shakye, as a way of honoring the divine feminine principle.
One notable historical figure who bore the name Shakye was Shakye Devi, a renowned Tantric practitioner and spiritual teacher who lived in the 16th century CE. She was revered for her profound wisdom and her contributions to the development of Tantric philosophy and practices.
Another individual of historical significance was Shakye Khandro, a 17th-century Tibetan Buddhist yogini and teacher. She was renowned for her mastery of the inner yogic practices and her ability to transmit profound spiritual teachings.
In the realm of literature, the name Shakye appears in several ancient Hindu texts, such as the Devi Mahatmya, which is a part of the Markandeya Purana. This text glorifies the goddess Shakti and recounts her various manifestations and exploits.
Shakye Dorje was a 19th-century Bhutanese Buddhist master and the first incarnation of the Dharma King of Bhutan. He played a significant role in the establishment of the dual system of religious and political leadership in Bhutan.
Lastly, Shakye Kunchok Tsomo was a 20th-century Tibetan Buddhist nun and scholar. She was highly respected for her contributions to the study and preservation of Tibetan Buddhist teachings, particularly those related to the Gelug tradition.
People
Shakye + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shakye 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
Shakye: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shakye?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shakye 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 Shakye a common name?
We classify Shakye 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 Shakye most popular?
The single biggest year for Shakye was 2009, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shakye is about 17 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 Shakye in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Shakye a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shakye 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 Shakye still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Shakye 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 Shakye 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 the name Shakye?
If you just want to know how many Americans are named Shakye, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.