Shekira
A feminine name of West African origin meaning "she has captivated".
Name Census estimates that about 151 living Americans carry the first name Shekira. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shekira today is around 37 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shekira births was 1992 (16 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shekira. 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
151
~ 1 in 2,269,896 Americans
Peak year
1992
16 babies that year
Average age
37
years old
2006 SSA rank
#14,913
Tracked since 1973
Popularity
Shekira: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shekira from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 67 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1980s peak, Shekira remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shekira 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 Shekira 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 Shekira
The name Shekira is believed to have originated from the Swahili language spoken in East Africa. It is derived from the Arabic word "shakir," which means "grateful" or "thankful." The name's roots can be traced back to the 7th century CE, when Arabic culture and language spread across parts of Africa through trade and Islamic expansion.
In the early days, the name Shekira was primarily used by Swahili-speaking communities along the coastal regions of present-day Kenya, Tanzania, and Mozambique. It was a popular choice among Muslim families as it reflected the Islamic value of gratitude and thankfulness to Allah.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Shekira can be found in the 13th-century Swahili epic poem "Utendi wa Tambuka," which tells the story of a Swahili princess named Shekira. This literary work provides insight into the cultural significance of the name during that period.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Shekira. One prominent figure was Shekira bint Al-Muttalib (570-628 CE), a paternal aunt of the Prophet Muhammad and one of the first women to embrace Islam. Another was Shekira al-Durri (1139-1199), a renowned Sufi mystic and poet from present-day Egypt.
In the 18th century, Shekira bint Yahya Al-Nahrawali (1720-1790) gained recognition as a scholar and teacher of Islamic jurisprudence in Mecca. Her contributions to religious education and the preservation of Islamic knowledge were highly acclaimed.
During the 19th century, Shekira Khanem (1820-1892) was a prominent figure in the Ottoman Empire. She was a philanthropist and advocate for women's education, establishing several schools and institutions for girls in Istanbul.
More recently, Shekira Abdalla (1918-2005) was a Tanzanian writer and activist who played a significant role in the country's independence movement. Her literary works, which often explored themes of cultural identity and women's rights, have left a lasting impact on East African literature.
While the name Shekira has its roots in East Africa and the Arabic language, it has been adopted by diverse communities worldwide. The name's association with gratitude and thankfulness has resonated across cultures, making it a popular choice for parents seeking a name with a meaningful and positive connotation.
People
Shekira + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shekira 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
Shekira: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shekira?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 151 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shekira 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 2,269,896 US residents.
Is Shekira a common name?
We classify Shekira as "Very Rare". It ranks above 70.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 159 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shekira most popular?
The single biggest year for Shekira was 1992, when 16 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shekira is about 37 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Shekira a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shekira 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.