Girl · #11,456 in 2026

Shakya

Shakya was an ancient Indo-Aryan tribe of north-eastern South Asia whose existence is attested during the Iron Age. The Shakyas were organised into a gaṇasaṅgha, known as the Shakya Republic. The Shakyas were on the periphery, both geographically and culturally, of the eastern Indo-Gangetic Plain in the Greater Magadha cultural region.

Current Rank
#11,456
Peak Rank
#5,586 (2003)
Total Babies
179
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1993
First Year
2009
Last Year
2003
Peak Year
#5586
Peak Rank
179
Total Count
14
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Shakya

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Shakya was an ancient Indo-Aryan tribe of north-eastern South Asia whose existence is attested during the Iron Age. The Shakyas were organised into a gaṇasaṅgha, known as the Shakya Republic. The Shakyas were on the periphery, both geographically and culturally, of the eastern Indo-Gangetic Plain in the Greater Magadha cultural region.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology
The name of the Shakyas is attested primarily in the Pali forms Sakya and Sakka , and the Sanskrit form Śākya . The Shakyas' name was derived from the Sanskrit root śak ( śaknoti , more rarely śakyati or śakyate ) meaning "to be able", "worthy", "possible", or "practicable". The name of the Shakyas was also derived from the name of the śaka or sāka tree, which Bryan Levman has identified with either the teak or sāla tree, which is ultimately related to word śākhā , meaning 'branch', and was connected to the Shakyas' practice of worshipping the śaka or sāka tree. .mw-parser-output .tmulti .mult

The Story of Shakya

Shakya first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1993, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2003, when 21 Shakyas were born — ranking #5,586 that year. As of 2026, Shakya ranks #11,456 for baby girls with 9 births, with steady use. In total, more than 179 Shakyas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

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Names that sound like Shakya

Phonetically similar names — useful when Shakya 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 Shakya

What does the name Shakya mean?
Shakya was an ancient Indo-Aryan tribe of north-eastern South Asia whose existence is attested during the Iron Age. The Shakyas were organised into a gaṇasaṅgha, known as the Shakya Republic. The Shakyas were on the periphery, both geographically and culturally, of the eastern Indo-Gangetic Plain in the Greater Magadha cultural region.
How popular is Shakya in 2026?
In 2026, Shakya ranks #11,456 among girls' names in the U.S., with 9 babies given the name that year.
When was Shakya most popular?
Shakya reached its peak popularity in 2003, ranking #5,586 that year with 21 babies given the name.
Is Shakya a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Shakya is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Shakya?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Shakya include Jadee, Brin, Jahira. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Shakya

Shakya is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1993 and has accumulated 179 births in the dataset. Shakya's peak popularity came in 2003 when it ranked #5,586. Use the chart and map above to compare Shakya's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.