Given name
Shaquille
“well-formed, handsome”·“a handsome man”
Shaquille is a variant of Shakil. Interpretations include “well-formed, handsome” (Arabic) and “a handsome man” (Arabic). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Shaquille is a variant of Shakil. Interpretations include “well-formed, handsome” (Arabic) and “a handsome man” (Arabic). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Shaquille is a variant of Shakil. An origin associated with Shakil is Arabic.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1989. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Shaquille through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 6,156
- 5,769 boys · 387 girls
- Most popular year
- 1993
- 1,911 babies
- 2025
- 43
- #2,927 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −31%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 43 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,927 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 31.4% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 1,785 in 1993. In 2025, Florida had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (6). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 4,439 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Shaquille’s family of names
In English usage, Shaquille has a diminutive in SHAQ. Shaquille has a related form in Shakil.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Shaquille
- Shaquille O'NealAmerican basketball player (born 1972)
- Shaquille PinasSurinamese association football playerborn 1998
- Shaquille HarrisonAmerican basketball player (born 1993)
- Shaq MasonAmerican football playerborn 1993
- Shaq ThompsonAmerican football playerborn 1994
- ShaquilleMozambican footballerborn 1997
- Shaquille McDonaldEnglish association football playerborn 1995
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Shaquille, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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