Shakya

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Nepali शाक्य (śākya), from Sanskrit शाक्य (śākya), which is most likely from Sanskrit शक् (śak, “to be able”). Alternatively, from Sanskrit शाखा (śākhā, “branch, teak”); see Shakya for more.

Proper noun

Shakya (plural Shakyas)

1. An ancient tribe of Iron Age India to which the Buddha belonged.
2. A surname from Nepali.

Statistics

• According to the 2010 United States Census, Shakya is the 39960^th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 549 individuals. Shakya is most common among Asian/Pacific Islander (93.26%) individuals.

Further reading

• Hanks, Patrick, editor (2003), “Shakya”, in Dictionary of American Family Names, volume 3, New York City: Oxford University Press, →ISBN.