Shaquille is a modern American name based on the Arabic shakil, which means "handsome" or "well-formed"; basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal, who made the name famous, has said his full name was chosen to mean little warrior. The name boomed in the early 1990s when O'Neal entered the NBA and has been fading ever since. Since 2000 it has drifted from number 1891 to number 2927 in 2025 with 43 births.