Shakira means “grateful, thankful”. It comes from Arabic. It is documented as a girl's name in Kazakh and also used in Tatar and Bashkir.
- Shakira is a name of Arabic origin.
- It is recorded for Kazakh, Tatar and Bashkir.
- 3 syllables (counted from the spelling) and 7 letters.
What does Shakira mean?
Literal meaning
Shakira is a girl's name used in Bashkir, Kazakh and Tatar. It means “grateful, thankful”. Its elements are Arabic in origin.
Shakira in Kazakh, Tatar and Bashkir
What does Shakira mean in Kazakh?
In Kazakh the name is written Шәкира and Shakira (common romanization). Here it is glossed as “grateful”. It is recorded as a girl's name.[1]
What does Shakira mean in Tatar?
In Tatar the name is written Шакирә and Shakira (common romanization). No separate Tatar gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “grateful, thankful” applies. It is recorded as a girl's name.
What does Shakira mean in Bashkir?
In Bashkir the name is written Shakira (common romanization). No separate Bashkir gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “grateful, thankful” applies. It is recorded as a girl's name.
Where does the name Shakira come from?
Arabic, borrowing. From Arabic.Editorial (Meaning from TurkicNames' editorial research; not yet linked to a cited source.)
Which languages use the name Shakira?
Shakira is used as a given name in Kazakh, Tatar and Bashkir. Its origin is Arabic. The table shows for each language whether the use is documented by a cited source or comes from our editorial research.
Shakira across Turkic languages
| Language | Spelling | Gender | Meaning in this language | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kazakh | ШәкираCyrillic | Girl | “grateful” | Documented[1] |
| Tatar | ШакирәCyrillic | Girl | same as above: “grateful, thankful” | Editorial |
| Bashkir | ShakiraLatin, romanized | Girl | same as above: “grateful, thankful” | Editorial |
Similar spellings in different languages do not prove a shared origin: two languages can arrive at the same sound from different words. The origin section above states what the sources say.
Spelling variations of Shakira
Forms are shown as recorded, in their original script. Romanizations and rule-based conversions are labelled with their system and are not presented as attested spellings.
| Form | Language | Script | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shakira[1] | Latin spelling | Latin | Romanization (KazPER English romanization) |
| Шакира[1] | Russian-language spelling | Cyrillic | Variant |
| Шәкира[1] | Kazakh | Cyrillic | Native spelling |
| Shakira | Kazakh | Latin | Romanization (common romanization) |
| Шакирә | Tatar | Cyrillic | Native spelling |
| Shakira | Tatar | Latin | Romanization (common romanization) |
| Shakira | Bashkir | Latin | Romanization (common romanization) |
Sibling names for Shakira
Names recorded for the same languages that start with a different letter, so two children are not mixed up. Names that share a meaning theme or an element with Shakira rank first. Siblings do not have to match; these are only ideas.
- AiymbibiGirl“my moon lady”same language (kazakh)
- ZaitunaGirl“olive tree”same language (kazakh, tatar, bashkir)
- GaniBoy“rich, wealthy”same language (kazakh, tatar)
- ZhanbaiBoy“soul + rich, wealthy”same language (kazakh)
- ZifaGirl“beautiful, elegant, pretty”same language (bashkir)
- OmarBoy“life, long-lived”same language (kazakh)
- ErkinBoy“free, independent”same language (kazakh)
- TubekBoy“peninsula”same language (kazakh)
Common questions about Shakira
What does the name Shakira mean?
Shakira means “grateful, thankful”. It comes from Arabic. It is documented as a girl's name in Kazakh and also used in Tatar and Bashkir.
Is Shakira a girl's or a boy's name?
Shakira is recorded as a girl's name. By language: Kazakh: girls; Tatar: girls; Bashkir: girls.
Where does Shakira come from?
Shakira is of Arabic origin according to our origin records. Read the origin section above for the sources.
Which languages use Shakira?
Shakira is recorded for Kazakh, Tatar and Bashkir. The table shows each language's spelling, gender and evidence label, and a language is listed only when our data records the name for it.
How is Shakira spelled in other scripts?
Recorded spellings: Шакира (Cyrillic), Шәкира (Cyrillic), Шакирә (Cyrillic). Romanizations and rule-based conversions are labelled as such in the spelling table.
How many syllables does Shakira have?
Shakira has 3 syllables by our approximate count of vowel groups in the spelling, and 7 letters. Pronunciation can differ by language.
Sources
Numbers in the text point to these sources. The descriptions on this page are written by a fixed template filled with our editorial data; source texts are not copied.
- Rustem Yeshpanov. KazPER Kazakh person-name list. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY 4.0.
Supports: listed as a kazakh given name (feminine) in KazPER Kazakh person-name list; spelling Shakira recorded in KazPER Kazakh person-name list; spelling Шакира recorded in KazPER Kazakh person-name list; spelling Шәкира (kazakh) recorded in KazPER Kazakh person-name list
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