Shawki
From Arabic origin, meaning "wanderer" or "traveler."
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Shawki. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Shawki today is around 49 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shawki births was 1973 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shawki. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Shawki. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1973
5 babies that year
Average age
49
years old
1973 SSA rank
#5,762
Tracked since 1973
Census
Shawki in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 139 people with the first name Shawki, which placed it at #47,200 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
#47,200
National first-name rank
People counted
139
139 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.0
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
66.9% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shawki
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Shawki is White at 66.9%. The next largest groups are Black (21.6%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Shawki 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 Shawki at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.9% · 93
- Black or African American21.6% · 30
- Two or more races5.0% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.3% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 3
Popularity
Shawki: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Shawki 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 Shawki during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Shawki
The name Shawki has its origins in the Arabic language and culture, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Arabic word "shawq," which means "longing" or "desire." The name was likely given to children with the hope that they would grow up to be passionate and driven individuals.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shawki can be found in a 13th-century Arabic manuscript, where it is mentioned as the name of a renowned poet and scholar from Egypt. This poet, known as Shawki al-Misri, was celebrated for his contributions to Arabic literature and his mastery of the Arabic language.
Throughout history, the name Shawki has been borne by several notable figures across the Arab world. One such individual was Shawki Bey, an Egyptian statesman and diplomat who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He played a pivotal role in negotiating Egypt's independence from British rule and was instrumental in shaping the country's political landscape during that era.
Another prominent figure with the name Shawki was Ahmed Shawki, an Egyptian poet and playwright who lived from 1868 to 1932. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential literary figures in modern Arabic literature and is often referred to as the "Prince of Poets." His works, which include plays and poetry collections, explored themes of nationalism, love, and the human condition.
In the realm of music, Shawki Gamal was a renowned Egyptian singer and composer who lived from 1922 to 2009. He was known for his rich vocals and his ability to infuse traditional Egyptian music with contemporary elements. His contributions to the Egyptian music scene earned him widespread acclaim and a dedicated following.
Lastly, Shawki Allam was an Egyptian actor and director who lived from 1923 to 2019. He was a prominent figure in the golden age of Egyptian cinema and starred in numerous classic films. His performances were widely praised for their depth and authenticity, and he is remembered as one of the most talented actors of his generation.
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals who have borne the name Shawki throughout history. The name continues to be popular in the Arab world, carrying with it a rich cultural heritage and a legacy of passion and achievement.
People
Shawki + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shawki 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
Shawki: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shawki?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shawki 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Shawki a common name?
We classify Shawki as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shawki most popular?
The single biggest year for Shawki was 1973, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shawki is about 49 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Shawki in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 139 people with the name Shawki, or 0.05 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #47,200 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 Shawki 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 Shawki?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Shawki leans strongly male. 131 people counted with this name were male (97.0%), compared with 4 female bearers (3.0%). 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 Shawki?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Shawki is White at 66.9%. The next largest groups are Black (21.6%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Shawki most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Shawki in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.9% (93 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 Shawki in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Shawki a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shawki 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.
Is Shawki still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Shawki 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 Shawki 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 common is the name Shawki?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the name Shawki at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.