Shaka
Shaka kaSenzangakhona, also known as Shaka Zulu, Shaka the Zulu, and Sigidi kaSenzangakhona, was the king of the Zulu Kingdom from 1816 to 1828. One of the most influential monarchs of the Zulu, he ordered wide-reaching reforms that reorganized the military into a formidable force.
- History
Meaning & Origin of Shaka
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Shaka kaSenzangakhona, also known as Shaka Zulu, Shaka the Zulu, and Sigidi kaSenzangakhona, was the king of the Zulu Kingdom from 1816 to 1828. One of the most influential monarchs of the Zulu, he ordered wide-reaching reforms that reorganized the military into a formidable force.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- History
The Story of Shaka
As a girl name
Shaka first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1975, with 6 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1987: 14 births, good for #5,312 nationwide. The 1980s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 55% of all recorded Shakas. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 1993 (5 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 142 Shakas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Shaka first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1970, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1987: 39 births, good for #1,709 nationwide. The 1980s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 25% of all recorded Shakas. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #6,247 among boy names with 14 births, gradually rising (+15%). In total, more than 720 Shakas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Shaka
Phonetically similar names — useful when Shaka is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Shaka
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About the name Shaka
Shaka is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1970 and has accumulated 720 births in the dataset. Shaka's peak popularity came in 1987 when it ranked #1,515. Use the chart and map above to compare Shaka's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1987 →
- Names of the 1980s →
- Names starting with "S" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.