Home βΊ Baby Names Directory βΊ Chaka
Chaka
How to Pronounce Chaka
Pronounced CHAH-kah /ΛtΚΙΛ.kΙΛ/Medium
Meaning: Chaka in American use is tied above all to the singer Chaka Khan, who took the name in the early nineteen-seventies during a period of interest in African heritage. It echoes the Zulu Shaka, borne by the early-nineteenth-century Zulu king Shaka; that name is linked in tradition to an illness his mother was accused of feigning. The American Chaka is best read as an heritage-inspired given name.Low
Popularity in the U.S. Β· SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880βpresent). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Chaka entered American use during the nineteen-seventies wave of interest in African names and identity, carried into the mainstream by the singer Chaka Khan. It echoes the Zulu Shaka, the name of an early Zulu king. As a given name here it reads as an heritage-inspired choice rather than a translated word.
It stayed uncommon, reaching only a couple dozen boys a year around 1972 and thinning by the two-thousands. A boy named Chaka then is in his fifties now.
Variations
Nicknames
Famous Bearers
- β
Chaka Khan (b. 1953)American singer known as the Queen of Funk; popularized the name in the West
If you like Chakaβ¦
Explore names like Chaka
Frequently Asked
What does the name Chaka mean?
Chaka is best read as an heritage-inspired name; it is linked to the singer Chaka Khan and echoes the Zulu name Shaka.
How do you pronounce Chaka?
It's said CHAH-kah /ΛtΚΙΛ.kΙΛ/, two syllables, stress on the first.
Is Chaka a boy or girl name?
Here Chaka is used as a boy's name; it is also known as a woman's name through Chaka Khan.
Is Chaka a popular name?
No, it has always been rare, appearing mainly in the early nineteen-seventies.