Total births
1,613
Boys' name · since 1987
Shakur
1,613 babies named Shakur in U.S. Social Security records since 1987, with the highest year being 1997. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #2358
- among boys today
- 1,613
- born since 1987
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 84%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Shakur is the #2358 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 1,613 recorded since 1987.
Social Security Administration records show Shakur recorded 1,613 times among boys since 1987, holding rank #2358 nationally today, ahead of 84% of boys, peaking in the 1990s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1987 to 2025.
- #2358 among boys today
- 1,613 born since 1987
- 1990s peak decade
- 84% more common than other boys
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Shakur is currently the #2358 boys' name in America, more common than 84% of boys - 1,613 born since 1987, peaking in the 1990s.
- #2358
- among boys today
- 1,613
- born since 1987
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 84%
- more common than other boys
Shakur vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2358
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 84% of names given to boys today.
1990s
Peak decade
33% of everyone ever named Shakur was born in this single decade.
1997
Single peak year
119 babies were named Shakur in 1997 - its busiest year on record.
How Shakur compares
1,613 Top 24% higher than 76% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Shakur's all-time total is 4x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Shakur | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,613 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 119 | 23 | 22,252 |
Shakur's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Shakur's SSA record in two at 2008 and the more recent half accounts for 45% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 55%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1987, with only 6 births recorded -- set against the 1997 peak of 119, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Shakur at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1997
Current rank
#2,358
Active since
1987
Shakur popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1987–2025
- Peak year (1997)
- 119
- Annual births at peak, across 39 years of records
Shakur popularity over time - girls
9 total births recorded since 1997 (Shakur as girls' name)
Shakur by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Shakur's strongest decade.
538 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 33% of all-time use.
Shakur births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 6
1980s
6 births
- 1990s
1990s
538 births
- 2000s
2000s
395 births
- 2010s
2010s
343 births
- 2020s
2020s
331 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 538 births (33% of all-time use).
How Shakur compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Shakur's total volume
Shakur vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Shakur by state
Where Shakur concentrates geographically, total births since 1987
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Pennsylvania | | 175 | 10.8% |
| #2 | New York | | 133 | 8.2% |
| #3 | New Jersey | | 76 | 4.7% |
| #4 | North Carolina | | 37 | 2.3% |
| #5 | California | | 31 | 1.9% |
| #6 | Florida | | 31 | 1.9% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 21 | 1.3% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 19 | 1.2% |
Pennsylvania share of Shakur's total US births 10.8%
Even split
175 of 1,613 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 17 reporting states.
Shakur appears in 17 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shakur? ▼
Shakur has been given to 1,613 babies in the U.S. since 1987, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #2358 as of the latest data. 119 babies were born in 1997, its single highest year.
When was Shakur most popular? ▼
Shakur was most popular in the 1990s decade with 538 total births. The single peak year was 1997.
Where is Shakur most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Shakur are Pennsylvania (175 births), New York (133 births), New Jersey (76 births).
How long has the name Shakur been used? ▼
Records for Shakur go back to 1987, giving 39 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Shakur? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Shawn, Shane, Shaun, Shannon, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Shakur's data
- Shakur's usage has stayed within range of its 1990s decade-level peak (538 total births) through the 2020s (331) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Pennsylvania records the most Shakurs (175 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Pennsylvania names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Shakur
Nearby Names Like Shakur
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shakur
Shawn Boy
#637 306,542 births
Shane Boy
#601 192,583 births
Shaun Boy
#1567 70,481 births
Shannon Boy
#2597 52,379 births
Shayne Boy
#4006 10,741 births
Compare Shakur side by side: Shakur vs Shawn Shakur vs Shane Shakur vs Shaun
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Shakur
Data Sources
Data as of July 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1987–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Shakur: #2358 Boys' Name - 1,613 Births, Peak 1997." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/shakur. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Shakur draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026.