Shakur: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#3,832

among boys · ↓1,468 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Shakur · -52% vs 2024

How common

1 in 58,899

boys born in 2025

Peak year

1997

128 babies

All-time total

1,622

#3,768 all-time among boys

First recorded

1987

in Social Security records

Shakur popularity over time

1,622 babies have been named Shakur since 1987, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure

Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras

BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade	Girls	Boys	Total	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1910s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1920s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1930s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1940s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1950s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1960s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1970s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1980s	–	6	6	1	–	#6,812
1990s	9	538	547	55	+9017%	#1,073
2000s	–	395	395	40	-28%	#1,963
2010s	–	343	343	34	-13%	#2,227
2020s (to 2025)	–	331	331	55	+61%	#2,168

Where Shakur is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 boys	Implied rank
2026	28	0.02	outside top 500
2027	27	0.02	outside top 500
2028	27	0.02	outside top 500
2029	26	0.02	outside top 500
2030	26	0.02	outside top 500

Where Shakur is most popular

Boys named Shakur per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.032 per 1,000. Strongest in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Georgia.

Vs national average

well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Shakur born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State	Boys 2021–2025	Per 1,000	vs national
Pennsylvania	24	0.090	+183%
Maryland	10	0.084	+162%
Georgia	13	0.051	+61%
New York	11	0.025	-20%
New Jersey	5	0.025	-22%
North Carolina	6	0.023	-26%
Florida	10	0.021	-34%
Illinois	5	0.020	-39%
California	12	0.013	-59%
Texas	10	0.011	-64%
Alaska	–	–	–
Alabama	–	–	–
Arkansas	–	–	–
Arizona	–	–	–
Colorado	–	–	–
Connecticut	–	–	–
District of Columbia	–	–	–
Delaware	–	–	–
Hawaii	–	–	–
Iowa	–	–	–
Idaho	–	–	–
Indiana	–	–	–
Kansas	–	–	–
Kentucky	–	–	–
Louisiana	–	–	–
Massachusetts	–	–	–
Maine	–	–	–
Michigan	–	–	–
Minnesota	–	–	–
Missouri	–	–	–
Mississippi	–	–	–
Montana	–	–	–
North Dakota	–	–	–
Nebraska	–	–	–
New Hampshire	–	–	–
New Mexico	–	–	–
Nevada	–	–	–
Ohio	–	–	–
Oklahoma	–	–	–
Oregon	–	–	–
Rhode Island	–	–	–
South Carolina	–	–	–
South Dakota	–	–	–
Tennessee	–	–	–
Utah	–	–	–
Virginia	–	–	–
Vermont	–	–	–
Washington	–	–	–
Wisconsin	–	–	–
West Virginia	–	–	–
Wyoming	–	–	–

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Shakur

Shakur is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,832 in 2025 with 29 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1987, 1,622 American babies have been named Shakur. Its peak came in 1997, when 128 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1990s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Shakur stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Shakur?

The median living Shakur is about 20 years old; half are between 7 and 28. An estimated 1,600 people named Shakur are alive in the United States today.

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Shakur year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year	Girls	Girls rank	Boys	Boys rank
2025	–	–	29	#3,832
2024	–	–	60	#2,364
2023	–	–	65	#2,217
2022	–	–	56	#2,489
2021	–	–	66	#2,168
2020	–	–	55	#2,412
2019	–	–	63	#2,227
2018	–	–	49	#2,609
2017	–	–	37	#3,184
2016	–	–	43	#2,828
2015	–	–	32	#3,500
2014	–	–	28	#3,763
2013	–	–	27	#3,844
2012	–	–	25	#4,108
2011	–	–	19	#4,955
2010	–	–	20	#4,818
2009	–	–	25	#4,141
2008	–	–	21	#4,680
2007	–	–	34	#3,296
2006	–	–	35	#3,144
2005	–	–	35	#3,006
2004	–	–	44	#2,529
2003	–	–	57	#2,027
2002	–	–	46	#2,287
2001	–	–	45	#2,269
2000	–	–	53	#1,963
1995	–	–	46	#1,886
1990	–	–	–	–
1985	–	–	–	–
1980	–	–	–	–
1975	–	–	–	–
1970	–	–	–	–
1965	–	–	–	–
1960	–	–	–	–
1955	–	–	–	–
1950	–	–	–	–
1945	–	–	–	–
1940	–	–	–	–
1935	–	–	–	–
1930	–	–	–	–
1925	–	–	–	–
1920	–	–	–	–
1915	–	–	–	–
1910	–	–	–	–
1905	–	–	–	–
1900	–	–	–	–
1895	–	–	–	–
1890	–	–	–	–
1885	–	–	–	–
1880	–	–	–	–

Famous people named Shakur

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

1 Shakur Stevenson American boxer (born 1997) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Shakur, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Shakur?

The median living Shakur is about 20 years old. Half of all living Shakurs are between 7 and 28 years old.

How many people named Shakur are alive today?

An estimated 1,600 people named Shakur are alive in the United States, based on 1,622 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Shakur mean?

Borrowed from Arabic شَكُور (šakūr, “thankful, grateful”).

How popular is the name Shakur in 2025?

Shakur ranked #3,832 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 29 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Shakur?

1,622 babies have been named Shakur in the United States since 1987, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Shakur most popular?

Shakur peaked in 1997, when 128 newborns received the name.

Is Shakur a boy or girl name?

Shakur is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 99% of babies with the name.

Is the name Shakur rising or falling?

Shakur is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Shakur become more popular?

Shakur is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 26 boys named Shakur in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Shakur?

Well-known people named Shakur include Shakur Stevenson (boxer).

Names like Shakur

Names that sound and feel close to Shakur: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Shakur with similar names → More names starting with S →