Shanekqua is a unique and captivating name of African American origin. It is derived from the combination of two names: Shanique and Ekua.
The name Shanique originates from West Africa, specifically from the Igbo tribe of Nigeria. In Igbo culture, Shanique means "God answers." This meaning reflects hope and trust in divine intervention and assistance during challenging times.
Meanwhile, Ekua is a name of Akan origin from Ghana in West Africa. In the Akan culture, Ekua denotes "born on Wednesday," as the name is associated with the day of the week celebrated by this African ethnic group.
The combination of Shanique and Ekua creates the beautiful compound name Shanekqua, which embodies both the hope and trust in divine help and the celebration of life's journey, especially when one is born on a Wednesday.
The given statistics show the number of babies named Shanekqua born annually in the United States from 1980 to 1995.
In the early years, the name was relatively uncommon with only 6 births recorded in 1980. The following year saw a slight decrease with just 5 births. However, there was another increase in 1984 and 1987, each with 5 births. Then, there was a significant rise in popularity from 1989 onwards.
In 1989, the number of babies named Shanekqua doubled to 6 births. This trend continued into the 1990s with a notable spike in 1991, when 28 newborn girls were given this name. The popularity of the name remained high throughout the early 1990s, with 19 births recorded each year in both 1992 and 1993.
However, by 1994, there was a decrease to 14 births, indicating that the name's peak popularity may have passed. The most recent data point from 1995 showed another decrease, with only 6 babies named Shanekqua born that year.
Overall, over these 16 years (from 1980 to 1995), a total of 125 girls were named Shanekqua in the United States. While the name experienced periods of increased popularity throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, it eventually declined and became less common by the mid-1990s.