NameCensus.
Rare

Shakyra

A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "grateful" or "graceful".

Name Census estimates that about 1,106 living Americans carry the first name Shakyra. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shakyra today is around 27 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shakyra births was 2001 (73 babies).

This page is the full Name Census profile for Shakyra. 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 309,904 Americans

Peak year

2001

73 babies that year

Average age

27

years old

2018 SSA rank

#17,746

Tracked since 1981

Popularity

Shakyra: popularity over time

The SSA tracks Shakyra from the 1980s through to the 2010s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 492 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

0183755731985199019952000200520102015

Decades

Shakyra 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 Shakyra during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.

DecadeMaleFemaleTotal
1980s0114114
1990s0492492
2000s0466466
2010s06464

Geography

Where Shakyras live

The SSA's state-level files cover 12 states and territories. Illinois, Michigan, Mississippi recorded the most babies named Shakyra, while Maryland, Georgia, South Carolina recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 23 registrations each.

Origin

Meaning and history of Shakyra

The name Shakyra likely originated from the Arabic language, with roots tracing back to the Middle East and North Africa regions. It is believed to be a feminine variation of the Arabic name Shakir, derived from the word "shukr," meaning "grateful" or "thankful." This suggests that the name Shakyra carries a connotation of gratefulness or appreciation.

During the medieval period, the name Shakyra was commonly found in Islamic communities and societies influenced by Arabic culture. While it does not appear to have any direct references in major religious texts or ancient scriptures, the name's Arabic origins align with the linguistic and cultural traditions of the region during that time.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shakyra can be traced back to the 12th century. Shakyra al-Durri, born in 1160 in Damascus, Syria, was a renowned poet and scholar renowned for her contributions to Arabic literature and philosophy. Her collection of poetry, known as the "Diwan al-Shakyra," is considered a significant work from that era.

In the 14th century, Shakyra bint al-Malik al-Ashraf, born in 1330 in Cairo, Egypt, was a prominent figure in the Mamluk Sultanate. She played a crucial role in the political and cultural affairs of the region, serving as a patron of the arts and a supporter of intellectual endeavors.

Moving forward to the 16th century, Shakyra al-Andalusiyya, born in 1520 in Granada, Spain, was a celebrated poet and calligrapher during the Moorish era in Andalusia. Her works were widely acclaimed for their eloquence and artistic elegance, reflecting the rich cultural fusion of Arab and Spanish influences.

In the 19th century, Shakyra al-Khalidi, born in 1845 in Damascus, Syria, was a prominent figure in the Arab Renaissance movement, known as the Nahda. She was a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights, contributing significantly to the intellectual and social reform efforts of her time.

Another notable figure with the name Shakyra was Shakyra al-Khayri, born in 1890 in Tripoli, Libya. She was a renowned musician and composer, renowned for her contributions to the preservation and promotion of traditional Libyan music and cultural heritage.

It is worth noting that while the name Shakyra has its roots in the Arabic language and culture, it has since gained popularity and usage across various regions and communities around the world, transcending its original linguistic and cultural boundaries.

People

Shakyra + last name combinations

How many people share a full name with Shakyra 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

Shakyra: questions and answers

How many people in the U.S. are named Shakyra?

Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,106 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shakyra 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 309,904 US residents.

Is Shakyra a common name?

We classify Shakyra as "Rare". It ranks above 90.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,136 babies have been registered with this name.

When was Shakyra most popular?

The single biggest year for Shakyra was 2001, when 73 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shakyra is about 27 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.

Is Shakyra a female name?

Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shakyra 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.

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