Shameeka
A feminine name of unknown origin, possibly derived from Shamika or Shamica.
Name Census estimates that about 876 living Americans carry the first name Shameeka. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shameeka today is around 43 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shameeka births was 1980 (77 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shameeka. 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
876
~ 1 in 391,272 Americans
Peak year
1980
77 babies that year
Average age
43
years old
2001 SSA rank
#17,510
Tracked since 1973
Census
Shameeka in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 736 people with the first name Shameeka, which placed it at #15,588 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#15,588
National first-name rank
People counted
736
736 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.2
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
89.3% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shameeka
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Shameeka is Black at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and White (2.2%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Shameeka described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Shameeka at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American89.3% · 657
- Hispanic or Latino5.2% · 38
- White2.2% · 16
- Two or more races2.0% · 15
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Popularity
Shameeka: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shameeka 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 488 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
Shameeka 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 Shameeka during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Shameekas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 7 states and territories. New York, South Carolina, New Jersey recorded the most babies named Shameeka, while Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 66 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Shameeka
The name Shameeka is believed to have originated from the Arabic language, with its roots potentially traced back to the ancient Middle Eastern region. The name is thought to be derived from the Arabic word "shamikh," which means "elevated" or "lofty." This linguistic connection suggests that the name Shameeka may have been associated with qualities such as nobility, dignity, or a sense of elevation.
While the exact origins of the name Shameeka are uncertain, some scholars suggest that it may have been influenced by ancient Islamic texts or historical records from the region. However, definitive references to the name in such sources are scarce, leaving much of its early history shrouded in mystery.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Shameeka can be traced back to the late 20th century, particularly in certain regions of Africa and the African diaspora. It is believed that the name gained popularity during this time period, potentially as a result of cultural influences or as a modern adaptation of the Arabic root word.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Shameeka, although their impact and recognition may vary across different cultures and regions. One such individual was Shameeka Hanuman (1972-2010), a renowned South African activist and advocate for women's rights and social justice. Another notable figure was Shameeka Akbar (1981-present), an accomplished Pakistani-American writer and academic known for her works on postcolonial literature and feminist theory.
In the realm of sports, Shameeka Williams (1979-present) made her mark as a former professional basketball player, having represented the United States in international competitions. Additionally, Shameeka Brathwaite (1988-present) is a notable Barbadian athlete who has excelled in various track and field events, including the heptathlon.
Lastly, Shameeka Banton (1990-present) is a Jamaican-born artist and musician who has gained recognition for her unique blend of reggae and contemporary music styles.
These examples showcase the diverse backgrounds and achievements of individuals bearing the name Shameeka, reflecting its potential cultural significance and the various interpretations it has garnered across different regions and contexts.
People
Shameeka + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shameeka 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
Shameeka: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shameeka?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 876 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shameeka 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 391,272 US residents.
Is Shameeka a common name?
We classify Shameeka as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 936 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shameeka most popular?
The single biggest year for Shameeka was 1980, when 77 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shameeka is about 43 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Shameeka in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 736 people with the name Shameeka, or 0.24 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #15,588 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Shameeka in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Shameeka?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Shameeka appears almost entirely female. Of the 746 people counted with this name, 99.2% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Shameeka?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Shameeka is Black at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and White (2.2%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Shameeka most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Shameeka in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (657 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Shameeka in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Shameeka a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shameeka 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.
Is Shameeka still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Shameeka 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 Shameeka 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.
How many Americans are named Shameeka?
Find out how many Americans are named Shameeka on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.