Shamyra
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly meaning "supreme beauty" or "sublime beauty".
Name Census estimates that about 752 living Americans carry the first name Shamyra. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shamyra today is around 28 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shamyra births was 2007 (36 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shamyra. 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
752
~ 1 in 455,790 Americans
Peak year
2007
36 babies that year
Average age
28
years old
2017 SSA rank
#13,885
Tracked since 1976
Census
Shamyra in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 577 people with the first name Shamyra, which placed it at #18,616 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
#18,616
National first-name rank
People counted
577
577 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.2
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
90.5% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shamyra
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Shamyra is Black at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Shamyra 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 Shamyra at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American90.5% · 522
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 22
- Two or more races3.5% · 20
- White1.4% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 2
Popularity
Shamyra: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shamyra from the 1970s through to the 2010s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 286 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Shamyra remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shamyra 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 Shamyra during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Shamyras live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. Texas, Louisiana, Pennsylvania recorded the most babies named Shamyra, while Florida, Michigan, Illinois recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 9 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Shamyra
The name Shamyra is a unique and intriguing moniker with a rich history and cultural significance. Its origins can be traced back to the ancient Semitic languages of the Middle East, particularly Arabic and Hebrew. In these languages, the root "shmr" or "shmir" is associated with concepts such as "to guard," "to protect," or "to watch over."
One theory suggests that Shamyra may have evolved from the Arabic name "Shamira," which means "watchful" or "vigilant." Another possibility is that it derives from the Hebrew name "Shomer," meaning "guardian" or "keeper." This connection highlights the name's potential symbolism as a guardian or protector.
Historically, the name Shamyra has been relatively rare, but it has been documented in various sources over the centuries. One of the earliest recorded instances can be found in the writings of medieval Arabic scholars, where it was occasionally used as a feminine name.
Throughout history, a handful of notable individuals have borne the name Shamyra. One such figure was Shamyra bint Al-Rashid (born around 790 CE), a renowned poetess and scholar who lived during the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad. Her works were celebrated for their eloquence and insight into the human condition.
Another noteworthy Shamyra was Shamyra al-Andalusiyya (born in the late 10th century CE), a female mathematician and astronomer from Cordoba, Spain. She made significant contributions to the advancement of mathematics and astronomical calculations during the Golden Age of Islamic civilization.
In more recent times, Shamyra Sanjuan (born 1979) is a Swedish actress and model of Lebanese descent. She has appeared in various Swedish television series and films, gaining recognition for her talent and versatility.
Shamyra Tucker (born 1989) is an American professional basketball player who has competed in the WNBA and overseas leagues. Her athletic prowess and dedication to her sport have earned her respect and admiration from fans and peers alike.
Lastly, Shamyra Gaskins (born 1992) is an American singer and songwriter known for her soulful vocal performances. She has released several acclaimed albums and has collaborated with various artists, showcasing her musical talents on a global stage.
While the name Shamyra may not be as common as some other names, its rich history and cultural significance make it a unique and meaningful choice. Its connection to concepts of guardianship and protection imbue it with a sense of strength and resilience.
People
Shamyra + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shamyra 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
Shamyra: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shamyra?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 752 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shamyra 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 455,790 US residents.
Is Shamyra a common name?
We classify Shamyra as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 775 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shamyra most popular?
The single biggest year for Shamyra was 2007, when 36 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shamyra is about 28 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Shamyra in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 577 people with the name Shamyra, or 0.19 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #18,616 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 Shamyra 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 Shamyra?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Shamyra appears almost entirely female. Of the 573 people counted with this name, 99.7% 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 Shamyra?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Shamyra is Black at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Shamyra most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Shamyra in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (522 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 Shamyra in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Shamyra a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shamyra 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 Shamyra still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Shamyra 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 Shamyra 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 people are called Shamyra?
Find out how many people have the name Shamyra on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.