Shameka
Feminine
Shameka uses an ending that is a smaller cousin of a much busier one. Where -isha produced Tanisha, Kalisha and Keisha, -eka produced Tameka, Shameka and Nameka — the same shape with a different vowel, and a far shorter list. The front is the Sha- that opens hundreds of American names.
How old is the name Shameka?
Shameka first appears in US birth records in 1971 — 54 years ago. The typical Shameka alive today was born around 1983, making them about 42 years old. About 6,000 people named Shameka are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Shameka most popular?
Shameka peaked in 1980, reaching #470 nationally. See the whole 1980 chart.
Where it comes from
Origin, sound and short forms
The story of Shameka
Endings in these naming systems come in families, and the families have sizes: -isha is large, -eka is small, -onda is medium. That is not random — an ending spreads in proportion to how well-formed it sounds inside the system, and the ones that stay rare generally do so because they sit slightly awkwardly. What such a name gives up is a documented line; what it gains is that a child carrying it is unlikely to share it, which was the design goal rather than a side effect.
Meaningnot established
Not established
There is no word underneath. Sha- is a component chosen for sound and -eka is an ending, and neither carries content. The -isha family it resembles does trace back to Arabic Aisha through the American naming tradition, but -eka is a step further removed and no source has been proposed for it that survives examination. The honest answer is that the name was assembled and means nothing, which is what the tradition intended.
Pronouncing Shameka
shuh-MEE-kuh
shuh-MEE-kuh, three syllables, stress in the middle, the first vowel almost swallowed. There is no competing reading, which is worth noting in a name built from components.
Nicknames for Shameka
Moderate
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
- 1971
- Most girls named
- 1980452 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #470reached in 1980
- Change vs 2007
- −40.0%6 in 2010, from 10
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.
Shamekas among us
people named Shameka 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
Shameka 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
- It is said correctly on first sight, which many assembled names are not.
- Meka works as a short form and stands on its own.
- The -eka ending is uncommon, so the name is distinctive within its own tradition as well as outside it.
- English readers see the word shame in the first two syllables, and school-age children find it quickly.
- Tameka and Shameika are both close enough to be substituted.
- There is no documented meaning, which is worth deciding how to talk about in advance.
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Shameka
Feminine
Frequently asked
- How many Shamekas are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 6,000 people named Shameka are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Shameka in 2025?
- Shameka is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 girl names.
- Will my child share the name Shameka with classmates?
- Shameka 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 Shameka? See the current top 100.
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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