Explore the Family Name Shakur

The meaning of Shakur

Muslim (mainly the Indian subcontinent): from a personal name based on Arabic shakūr ‘grateful, thankful’. Al-Shakūr (Ash-Shakūr) ‘the All-Thankful’ is an attribute of Allah (see the Koran 64:17), giving rise to the compound name ʿAbd al-Shakūr, ʿAbdul-Shakūr, ʿAbdush-Shakūr ‘servant of the All-Thankful’. Compare Shakoor.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Shakur in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Shakur has risen in popularity over the past decade. In the year 2000, it was ranked as the 57,849th most popular surname, but by 2010 it had climbed to the 38,439th spot, a significant increase of 33.55%. The number of individuals with this surname also increased from 329 in 2000 to 576 in 2010, which represents an impressive growth rate of 75.08%. The proportion of persons per 100,000 with the surname Shakur also saw a substantial rise from 0.12 in 2000 to 0.2 in 2010, a jump of 66.67%.

20002010Change
Rank#57,849#38,43933.55%
Count32957675.08%
Proportion per 100k0.120.266.67%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Shakur

The Decennial U.S. Census also sheds light on the ethnic identity associated with the surname Shakur. In 2000, 59.27% of those with the surname identified as Black, a figure that rose to 68.92% by 2010, marking a 16.28% increase. The percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander remained relatively stable, with a slight decrease from 15.20% to 15.10%. The proportion of Shakurs identifying as White decreased from 4.56% to 3.30%, a decline of 27.63%. Notably, the census data shows a new emergence of Hispanic and American Indian and Alaskan Native identities within the Shakur surname between 2000 and 2010, while there was a sharp drop in the percentage of people identifying as two or more races from 17.63% to 4.86%.

20002010Change
Black59.27%68.92%16.28%
Asian/Pacific Islander15.2%15.1%-0.66%
Hispanic0%6.94%0%
Two or More Races17.63%4.86%-72.43%
White4.56%3.3%-27.63%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0.87%0%