Shamia
Feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "high" or "lofty".
Name Census estimates that about 1,417 living Americans carry the first name Shamia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shamia today is around 30 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shamia births was 1999 (74 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shamia. 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
1.4K
~ 1 in 241,887 Americans
Peak year
1999
74 babies that year
Average age
30
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,131
Tracked since 1973
Popularity
Shamia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shamia from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 453 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
Decades
Shamia 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 Shamia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Shamias live
The SSA's state-level files cover 15 states and territories. Maryland, North Carolina, Georgia recorded the most babies named Shamia, while Ohio, New Jersey, Illinois recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 23 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Shamia
The name Shamia is believed to have originated from the Arabic language, with its roots tracing back to ancient times in the Middle Eastern region. The name is derived from the Arabic word "shams," which means sun, and it is often associated with radiance, warmth, and brilliance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shamia can be found in ancient Arabic poetry and literature, where it was used to describe the beauty and splendor of the sun. The name was also mentioned in various Islamic texts and manuscripts, highlighting its cultural and religious significance in the Arab world.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Shamia. One of the earliest recorded individuals was Shamia al-Qurayshi (born around 670 CE), a renowned Arab poet and scholar who lived during the Umayyad Caliphate. Her poems and writings were widely celebrated for their lyrical beauty and profound wisdom.
Another prominent figure was Shamia bint al-Hasan (776 CE - 846 CE), a renowned Arabic scholar and theologian from the Abbasid era. She was highly respected for her deep knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence and her contributions to the intellectual discourse of her time.
In the 12th century, Shamia al-Andalusi (1135 CE - 1198 CE) was a celebrated Arabic poet and writer from the Andalusian region of Spain. Her works were widely admired for their elegance and depth, and she was considered a literary icon during the Golden Age of Islamic civilization in Spain.
During the Ottoman Empire, Shamia Efendi (1554 CE - 1623 CE) was a prominent Ottoman calligrapher and artist. Her calligraphic works were highly sought after and adorned the walls of mosques and palaces, showcasing her exceptional skill and artistry.
In more recent history, Shamia Mostafa (1924 CE - 2012 CE) was an influential Egyptian writer and feminist activist. She played a pivotal role in advocating for women's rights and empowerment in the Arab world, and her literary works explored themes of social justice and gender equality.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have borne the name Shamia, each leaving their mark in various fields such as literature, scholarship, art, and activism.
People
Shamia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shamia 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
Shamia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shamia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,417 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shamia 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 241,887 US residents.
Is Shamia a common name?
We classify Shamia as "Rare". It ranks above 92.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,468 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shamia most popular?
The single biggest year for Shamia was 1999, when 74 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shamia is about 30 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Shamia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shamia 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.