Find out how popular the last name Shakur is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Shakur.

Shakur, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Shakur surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shakur in America

Shakur is the 38439th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shakur surname appeared 576 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Shakur.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shakur to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Shakur

The surname "SHAKUR" has its origins in the Arabic language and is derived from the Arabic word "Shukr," which means "gratitude" or "thankfulness." This name is believed to have originated among Arabic-speaking communities in North Africa and the Middle East.

The earliest recorded instances of the name "SHAKUR" can be traced back to the 7th century AD, during the early years of Islamic expansion into various regions. It is possible that the name was initially adopted by individuals or families who embraced Islam and wanted to express their gratitude for the new faith.

In the medieval period, the name "SHAKUR" appeared in various historical records and manuscripts, particularly those related to Islamic scholarship and literature. One notable example is the work of the 13th-century scholar and poet Saadi Shirazi, who mentioned individuals with the surname "SHAKUR" in his writings.

As the Islamic empires expanded and trade routes flourished, the name "SHAKUR" likely spread across different regions, including parts of the Middle East, North Africa, and even the Indian subcontinent. This resulted in variations in the spelling and pronunciation of the name, such as "Shakoor" or "Shukoor."

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname "SHAKUR." One such example is Tupac Amaru Shakur (1971-1996), an influential American rapper, actor, and activist, whose name was inspired by the 18th-century Peruvian revolutionary Tupac Amaru II.

Another prominent figure was Ahmed Shakur (1892-1932), an Egyptian politician and one of the founders of the nationalist Wafd Party, which played a significant role in Egypt's struggle for independence from British rule.

In the realm of literature, the Sudanese writer and scholar Tayeb Salih (1929-2009), whose full name was Tayeb Salih Shakur, is renowned for his novel "Season of Migration to the North," a seminal work in Arabic literature.

The name "SHAKUR" has also been associated with notable figures in the Islamic world, such as Muhammad Shakur (1835-1910), a renowned Islamic scholar and jurist from India, and Zaynab Shakur (1872-1968), an Egyptian feminist and activist who advocated for women's rights and education.

While the surname "SHAKUR" has its roots in the Arabic language and Islamic culture, it has since been adopted by people of various ethnic and religious backgrounds, particularly in regions with significant Muslim populations or historical ties to the Islamic world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shakur

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Shakur.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Shakur was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Shakur has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Shakur was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Shakur, please contact us.

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