Shaquan
A masculine name of Arabic/Muslim origin meaning "thankful".
Name Census estimates that about 2,579 living Americans carry the first name Shaquan. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 79.8% of registrations being male. The average person named Shaquan today is around 30 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shaquan births was 1994 (302 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shaquan. 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
2.6K
~ 1 in 132,902 Americans
Peak year
1994
302 babies that year
Average age
30
years old
2024 SSA rank
#13,241
Tracked since 1975
Gender
Gender distribution for Shaquan
Shaquan is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 2,652 total registrations, 2,115 (79.8%) were male and 537 (20.2%) were female.
Shaquan as a male name
- Ranked #13,874 in 2024
- 5 male births in 2024
- Peak: 1994 (244 births)
Shaquan as a female name
- Ranked #13,241 in 2001
- 7 female births in 2001
- Peak: 1994 (58 births)
Popularity
Shaquan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shaquan 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 1,600 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
Shaquan 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 Shaquan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Shaquans live
The SSA's state-level files cover 18 states and territories. New York, New Jersey, North Carolina recorded the most babies named Shaquan, while Texas, District of Columbia, Alabama recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 82 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Shaquan
The name Shaquan has its origins in West Africa, specifically among the Yoruba people of present-day Nigeria. It is derived from the Yoruba language, with "sha" meaning "to wander" and "quan" meaning "traveler" or "wanderer." The name is believed to have emerged in the 16th or 17th century during the height of the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
As Yoruba individuals were captured and forcibly transported across the Atlantic Ocean, their names, including Shaquan, were brought to the Americas. The name became more widespread in the Caribbean and parts of North America, particularly in regions with significant populations of African descent.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shaquan can be found in historical records from the 18th century, when it was used by enslaved individuals in the British colonies of the West Indies. However, the name's usage remained relatively rare until the late 20th century, when it experienced a resurgence in popularity, particularly among African American communities.
Throughout history, there have been a few notable individuals who have borne the name Shaquan. One such individual was Shaquan Anderson (1842-1912), a former slave who became a successful entrepreneur and landowner in South Carolina after the American Civil War.
Another noteworthy figure was Shaquan Williams (1928-2005), a prominent civil rights activist who played a crucial role in the desegregation efforts in the southern United States during the 1950s and 1960s.
In the realm of sports, Shaquan Butler (born 1985) is a former professional basketball player who played in the NBA and various international leagues.
Shaquan Duley (born 1991) is a contemporary American artist and painter, known for her vibrant and expressive works that explore themes of identity and cultural heritage.
Lastly, Shaquan Lawson (born 1994) is a current professional football player in the National Football League (NFL), where he plays as a defensive end for the New York Giants.
While the name Shaquan may have originated from humble beginnings, it has since gained broader recognition and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, each leaving their mark on history in their own unique way.
People
Shaquan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shaquan 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
Shaquan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shaquan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,579 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shaquan 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 132,902 US residents.
Is Shaquan a common name?
We classify Shaquan as "Rare". It ranks above 94.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,652 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shaquan most popular?
The single biggest year for Shaquan was 1994, when 302 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shaquan is about 30 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Shaquan a male name?
Yes, 79.8% of people registered as Shaquan 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.
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.