Shakila
Feminine · “well-formed”
Shakila is an Arabic name meaning well-formed or beautiful, three syllables with the stress in the middle. It has also been built fresh by American families from familiar pieces.
How old is the name Shakila?
Shakila first appears in US birth records in 1975 — 50 years ago. The typical Shakila alive today was born around 1992, making them about 33 years old. About 500 people named Shakila are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Shakila most popular?
Shakila peaked in 1992, reaching #1876 nationally. See the whole 1992 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From shakīl to Shakila
The story of Shakila
Arabic names often come directly from adjectives of beauty and character, and Shakila, well-formed, is used across the Arabic-speaking and Muslim world, including South Asia. In America, families drawn to Arabic names and families building names from Sha- and -kila both arrived at this spelling, so the name reached the record by two roads.
Meaningscholars disagree
well-formed, beautiful
In Arabic, shakīla means well-formed or shapely, the feminine of shakīl. In America the name may also be a build on Sha- and -kila, and the record does not say which road a family took.
How the name formed
- shakīl
- shakīla
- Shakila
Related forms: Shakila · Shakeela
Pronouncing Shakila
shuh-KEE-luh
Stress on the middle syllable.
Nicknames for Shakila
Limited
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1975
- Most girls named
- 199275 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1876reached in 1992
- Change vs 2008
- −37.5%5 in 2011, from 8
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Shakila in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Shakila in Arabic — same name
- Shakeela in Urdu — spelling variant
Shakilas among us
people named Shakila are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Shakila sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- Its Arabic meaning, well-formed, is complimentary.
- It is easy to say once heard.
- It will be spelled Shakeela or Shaquila.
- Its source depends on the family, which some will ask about.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Shakila to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Shakila? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Shakila
Feminine
Frequently asked
- How many Shakilas are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 500 people named Shakila are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Shakila in 2025?
- Shakila is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 girl names.
- Will my child share the name Shakila with classmates?
- Shakila will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More S names
The most-given names starting with S, all years combined.
Susan#1085 · Sarah#90 · Sandra#1207 · Stephanie#557 · Sharon#1250 · Shirley#1581 · Samantha#151 · Sophia#5
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Shakila? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Shakila and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle