Shaquina
A feminine name derived from the Arabic "Shaqiq" meaning beautiful or splendid.
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the first name Shaquina. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shaquina today is around 38 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shaquina births was 1992 (20 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shaquina. 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
117
~ 1 in 2,929,524 Americans
Peak year
1992
20 babies that year
Average age
38
years old
1995 SSA rank
#15,369
Tracked since 1978
Popularity
Shaquina: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shaquina from the 1970s through to the 1990s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 59 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shaquina 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 Shaquina 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 Shaquina
The name Shaquina is believed to have its origins in a combination of two African languages spoken in parts of West and Central Africa – the Wolof language and the Fula language. In the Wolof language, the prefix "Sha" is a common honorific title, while in the Fula language, the word "quina" means "to be born" or "to come into existence."
While the exact origin of the name is not entirely clear, it is thought that Shaquina emerged as a name in the regions where these two languages were spoken, possibly as early as the 16th or 17th century. Some linguists suggest that the name may have been formed by combining the Wolof honorific with the Fula word for birth, creating a name that carried a sense of respect and new beginnings.
Historical records of individuals bearing the name Shaquina are scarce, but a few notable examples can be found. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Shaquina Diallo, a female warrior and leader from the Fula people of present-day Guinea in the late 17th century. She is said to have led her people in defending their lands against invading forces.
In the 19th century, there is mention of Shaquina Koroma, a respected elder and storyteller from the Temne people of Sierra Leone. Her tales and oral traditions were passed down through generations, preserving the cultural heritage of her people.
Another notable individual was Shaquina Bah, a skilled midwife and herbalist from the Mandinka people of Gambia in the early 20th century. She was renowned for her knowledge of traditional medicine and her compassionate care for mothers and newborns.
More recently, in the late 20th century, Shaquina Ouédraogo was a prominent activist and advocate for women's rights in Burkina Faso. She worked tirelessly to promote education and economic opportunities for women in her country.
Shaquina Kébé, born in Senegal in the 1960s, is a celebrated writer and poet whose works explore themes of identity, diaspora, and the experiences of African women. Her poetry has been widely acclaimed and translated into several languages.
While the name Shaquina is still relatively uncommon, it carries a rich cultural heritage and a connection to the diverse languages and traditions of West and Central Africa. Its meaning, rooted in concepts of respect, birth, and new beginnings, has resonated across generations and communities.
People
Shaquina + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shaquina 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
Shaquina: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shaquina?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 117 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shaquina 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 2,929,524 US residents.
Is Shaquina a common name?
We classify Shaquina as "Very Rare". It ranks above 66.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 123 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shaquina most popular?
The single biggest year for Shaquina was 1992, when 20 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shaquina is about 38 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Shaquina a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shaquina 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.