Zhakari
A masculine name of African origin meaning "watchful, watcher".
Name Census estimates that about 7 living Americans carry the first name Zhakari. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Zhakari today is around 5 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zhakari births was 2021 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zhakari. 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 Zhakari. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
7
~ 1 in 48,964,905 Americans
Peak year
2021
7 babies that year
Average age
5
years old
2021 SSA rank
#10,778
Tracked since 2021
Popularity
Zhakari: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Zhakari 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 Zhakari during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 7 | 0 | 7 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Zhakari
The name Zhakari traces its origins back to the ancient Swahili language spoken along the East African coast. Derived from the root word "zakari," meaning "to remember," it was initially a name bestowed upon children born during significant historical events or periods, serving as a reminder for future generations.
In the 12th century, the name gained prominence in the coastal city-states of the Swahili Coast, which served as trading hubs for Arab, Persian, and Indian merchants. It is believed that the name was introduced to the region by Arab traders, who had adopted it from their interactions with Persian and Central Asian cultures.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Zhakari can be found in the "Kitab al-Falak" (Book of the Heavens), an astronomical treatise written by the renowned Swahili scholar and navigator, Ahmad bin Majid, in the 15th century. He mentions a navigator named Zhakari ibn Rashid, who accompanied him on several voyages across the Indian Ocean.
Throughout history, the name Zhakari has been borne by various notable figures, including Zhakari al-Mombasa (1520-1592), a renowned Swahili poet and philosopher who authored several works on Islamic mysticism and ethics. His writings were widely studied and admired throughout the Swahili Coast and beyond.
Another prominent individual was Zhakari bin Amir (1670-1738), a highly skilled architect and engineer who oversaw the construction of several iconic structures in the Swahili city-states, including the famous Gede Ruins in present-day Kenya.
In the 19th century, Zhakari al-Kilwa (1825-1891) was a prominent Swahili trader and diplomat who played a crucial role in facilitating trade relations between the Swahili Coast and the interior regions of East Africa. His diplomatic efforts were instrumental in maintaining peace and stability in the region.
The name Zhakari also found its way into the annals of Islamic scholarship, with Zhakari al-Nayrobi (1890-1962), a revered Islamic scholar and jurist from Nairobi, Kenya. His teachings and interpretations of Islamic law and jurisprudence were highly influential throughout East Africa and beyond.
While the name Zhakari has its roots in the Swahili culture and language, it has since gained popularity and recognition in various parts of the world, particularly among Muslim communities, as a testament to its rich historical and cultural significance.
People
Zhakari + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zhakari as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with Z
Other first names starting with Z with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Zhakari: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zhakari?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 7 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zhakari 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 48,964,905 US residents.
Is Zhakari a common name?
We classify Zhakari as "Very Rare". It ranks above 23.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 7 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zhakari most popular?
The single biggest year for Zhakari was 2021, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zhakari is about 5 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
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 Zhakari in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Zhakari a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zhakari 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 Zhakari still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Zhakari 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 Zhakari 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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Zhakari?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.