Shamek
A masculine Arabic name meaning "candle" or "lamp".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Shamek. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Shamek today is around 31 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shamek births was 1994 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shamek. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Shamek. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1994
5 babies that year
Average age
31
years old
1994 SSA rank
#10,010
Tracked since 1994
Popularity
Shamek: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Shamek 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 Shamek during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Shamek
The name Shamek has its origins in the ancient Phoenician language, which was spoken in the region of modern-day Lebanon and parts of Syria, Israel, and Palestine. It dates back to around the 11th century BCE. The name is derived from the Phoenician word "shamek," which means "to hear" or "to listen."
In the ancient Phoenician culture, the name was likely given to individuals who were considered good listeners or had exceptional hearing abilities. The Phoenicians were known for their seafaring and trading prowess, and it's possible that the name was also associated with those who could hear and interpret the sounds of the sea and winds.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name can be found in the Phoenician inscriptions discovered in the city of Byblos, which date back to the 9th century BCE. However, the name does not appear to have been widely used outside of the Phoenician civilization.
Throughout history, there have been a few notable individuals who bore the name Shamek. One of the earliest was Shamek ibn Abi al-Qasim (born around 1050 CE), a renowned poet and scholar from the city of Córdoba in Andalusia (modern-day Spain). He was known for his mastery of Arabic poetry and his contributions to the literary culture of the time.
Another notable figure was Shamek al-Din al-Nabulsi (1641-1731), a Sufi scholar and poet from Damascus, Syria. He was widely respected for his spiritual teachings and his works on Sufism, which influenced many generations of scholars and mystics.
In the 18th century, there was Shamek Khan (1720-1793), a prominent military leader and governor in the Durrani Empire, which ruled over parts of modern-day Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. He played a significant role in the expansion and consolidation of the empire during his tenure.
Moving forward to the 19th century, we find Shamek Pasha (1830-1909), an Ottoman statesman and diplomat who served as the Grand Vizier (Prime Minister) of the Ottoman Empire from 1895 to 1897. He was known for his efforts to modernize and reform the empire's administrative and judicial systems.
Finally, in the 20th century, there was Shamek al-Samarrai (1925-2005), an Iraqi poet and literary critic. He was highly regarded for his contributions to modern Arabic poetry and his advocacy for cultural and artistic freedom in Iraq.
People
Shamek + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shamek 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
Shamek: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shamek?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shamek 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 Shamek a common name?
We classify Shamek 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 Shamek most popular?
The single biggest year for Shamek was 1994, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shamek is about 31 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 Shamek in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Shamek a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shamek 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 Shamek still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Shamek 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 Shamek 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 Shamek as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans are named Shamek on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.