NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Shakira

A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "grateful".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Shakira is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Shakira popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4192, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2002, with 258 births.

This profile covers 1,459 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 2% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 1,517 living people in the UK are called Shakira. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Shakira ranked #4192 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 5 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2002, when 258 girls were registered as Shakira.
  • Shakira ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #419 in 2009.
  • About 1,517 living people in the UK are estimated to have Shakira as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4192

2024

Births in 2024

5

Latest year

Peak year

2002

258 births

Estimated living

1,517

2026

Meaning

What does Shakira mean?

The name Shakira is believed to have originated from the Arabic language, and its roots can be traced back to the Middle Eastern region. It is derived from the Arabic word "Shukr," which means "grateful" or "thankful."

In Islamic tradition, the name Shakira is often associated with gratefulness and appreciation towards Allah (God). It carries a spiritual and religious significance, reflecting the virtues of gratitude and contentment.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Shakira can be found in various historical texts and records from the medieval era. It was a name commonly used in the Arab world, particularly in regions like the Middle East and North Africa.

One of the earliest known historical figures with the name Shakira was Shakira bint Al-Husayn, a 7th-century Arab poetess who lived during the Umayyad Caliphate. She was renowned for her eloquent poetry and her contributions to the literary culture of her time.

Another notable figure was Shakira bint Abi Bakr, a 9th-century Arab female scholar and jurist who played a significant role in the development of Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh). She was highly respected for her knowledge and intellect.

In the 12th century, Shakira Al-Andalusiyah was a renowned Andalusian poet and writer who lived in Seville, Spain, during the era of the Almoravid dynasty. Her works were celebrated for their lyrical beauty and deep emotional expression.

During the 14th century, Shakira Al-Qurashiyah was a prominent scholar and poet from the city of Damascus, Syria. She was known for her expertise in various fields, including literature, poetry, and Islamic studies.

In more recent times, one of the most famous individuals with the name Shakira is the Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, born in 1977. She is a globally renowned artist and has achieved tremendous success in the music industry, becoming one of the best-selling Latin music artists of all time.

While the name Shakira has its origins in the Arabic language and Islamic culture, it has transcended cultural boundaries and gained popularity worldwide, embraced by people from diverse backgrounds and regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Shakira over time

The chart below shows babies named Shakira registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Shakira, the clearest high point is 2002. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2024, compared with 258 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Shakira
065129194258199620102024

Decades

Shakira by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Shakira was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #3759 29 5
2010s #1616 241 10
2000s #442 1,047 10
1990s #733 142 4

Geography

Where Shakira is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Shakira. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Shakira ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #419 in 2009.

Scotland
5
Northern Ireland
3

Across the UK

Shakira in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#572 in 2008

4 years of NRS records, 28 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#419 in 2009

6 years of NISRA records, 39 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Shakira

  • Shakira Caine

    model; film actor; actor; beauty pageant contestant

    Guyanese-British model and actress

    1947-

Related

Names similar to Shakira

FAQ

Shakira: questions and answers

How popular is the name Shakira in the UK right now?

In 2024, Shakira was ranked #4192 for girls in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.

When was Shakira most popular?

The peak year on record was 2002, with 258 babies registered as Shakira in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Shakira?

A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "grateful".

How many people are called Shakira in the UK?

A total of 1,459 babies have been registered as Shakira across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 28 more in Scotland and 39 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Shakira most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Shakira ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #419 in 2009. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.