Shaquayla
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly a blend of Shaquille and Kayla.
Name Census estimates that about 110 living Americans carry the first name Shaquayla. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shaquayla today is around 33 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shaquayla births was 1993 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shaquayla. 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
110
~ 1 in 3,115,949 Americans
Peak year
1993
19 babies that year
Average age
33
years old
2001 SSA rank
#13,242
Tracked since 1988
Popularity
Shaquayla: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shaquayla from the 1980s through to the 2000s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 91 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
Shaquayla 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 Shaquayla during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Shaquayla
The name Shaquayla has its origins in the African American community, emerging in the latter half of the 20th century. It is a combination of the names Shaquille and Kayla, both of which have distinct roots and meanings.
Shaquille is derived from the Arabic name Shakil, meaning "handsome" or "well-formed." This name has been used in various forms across the Middle East and North Africa for centuries. It gained popularity in the United States in the late 20th century, particularly among African American families.
Kayla, on the other hand, is a modern variation of the traditional name Kaylee, which has its roots in the English language. Kaylee is thought to be a combination of the names Kay and Lee, with Kay being a diminutive form of the name Katherine, meaning "pure" in Greek.
The fusion of these two names, Shaquayla, is believed to have emerged as a creative expression of cultural identity and individuality within the African American community. It blends elements of both Arabic and English origins, reflecting the diverse influences that have shaped the African American experience.
While there are no recorded instances of the name Shaquayla appearing in ancient texts or historical records, it has gained recognition in recent decades. One of the earliest known individuals to bear this name is Shaquayla Moss, an American actress and singer born in 1992.
Other notable individuals with the name Shaquayla include Shaquayla Williams, an American basketball player who played for the University of South Carolina from 2015 to 2018. Shaquayla Ferebee is another individual who gained attention as a singer and songwriter from North Carolina, born in 1990.
Shaquayla Lewis, born in 1991, is an American professional basketball player who has played in the WNBA and overseas. Additionally, Shaquayla Mungo, born in 1992, is an American track and field athlete who specializes in the long jump and triple jump events.
While the name Shaquayla is relatively new in the grand scheme of history, it has quickly gained recognition and popularity within certain communities. Its unique blend of cultural influences and creative expression reflects the diverse and ever-evolving nature of naming traditions in modern society.
People
Shaquayla + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shaquayla 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
Shaquayla: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shaquayla?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 110 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shaquayla 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 3,115,949 US residents.
Is Shaquayla a common name?
We classify Shaquayla as "Very Rare". It ranks above 65.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 114 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shaquayla most popular?
The single biggest year for Shaquayla was 1993, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shaquayla is about 33 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Shaquayla a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shaquayla 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.