Holding steady, #3,757 for boys today.
Popularity of Shakur since 1987
Babies named Shakur per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1980s | 6 |
| 1990s | 538 |
| 2000s | 395 |
| 2010s | 343 |
| 2020s | 331 |
Meaning & origin
Shakur is a name with deep roots in Arabic, meaning 'grateful' or 'thankful,' and is one of the 99 names of Allah. Its modern presence in the United States dates to 1987, when it first appeared on the Social Security list. The name reached its peak popularity in 1997, driven largely by the global fame of rapper Tupac Shakur. As of 2025, it ranks 3,757th, with approximately 1 in every 58,899 boys receiving the name. While its trajectory is stable, the name carries cultural resonance beyond any single bearer, reflecting both Islamic tradition and contemporary influence.
Shakur derives from the Arabic root sh-k-r, meaning 'to thank' or 'to be grateful.' It appears in the Qur'an as one of the divine attributes (al-Shakur, 'the Appreciative'). Historically used as a personal name across the Arabic-speaking world, it gained wider recognition in the West through the late rapper Tupac Shakur.
“Shakur” around the world
Where Shakur lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
5
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Shak
Variants: Shakoor, Shakuur, Shakour
Sibling names for Shakur
Names that share Shakur's style, for a brother or sister.
