Akisha
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "prosperous and noble".
Name Census estimates that about 347 living Americans carry the first name Akisha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Akisha today is around 44 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Akisha births was 1977 (45 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Akisha. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Akisha with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
347
~ 1 in 987,765 Americans
Peak year
1977
45 babies that year
Average age
44
years old
2005 SSA rank
#16,559
Tracked since 1973
Census
Akisha in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 343 people with the first name Akisha, which placed it at #26,904 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#26,904
National first-name rank
People counted
343
343 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
77.0% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Akisha
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Akisha is Black at 77.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (5.2%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Akisha described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Akisha at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American77.0% · 264
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 20
- Two or more races5.2% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.7% · 16
- White4.1% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.2% · 11
Popularity
Akisha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Akisha from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 181 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Akisha by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Akisha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Akishas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, Michigan, Ohio recorded the most babies named Akisha, while Ohio, Michigan, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 8 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Akisha
The name Akisha is believed to have its origins in West Africa, specifically in the Yoruba language spoken in present-day Nigeria and parts of Benin. The name is a feminine form derived from the Yoruba word "akisha," which means "one who is highly regarded" or "one who is respected."
In the Yoruba culture, names often carry deep meanings and are chosen with great care, as they are seen as a representation of a person's identity and character. The name Akisha is considered a strong and positive name, reflecting the high regard and respect bestowed upon the person bearing it.
While the exact origin of the name Akisha is uncertain, it is thought to have been in use among the Yoruba people for centuries. However, written records of the name are relatively scarce, as much of the Yoruba oral tradition and cultural practices were not extensively documented until more recent times.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Akisha can be found in the 19th century, when it was mentioned in the writings of Samuel Ajayi Crowther, a Yoruba scholar and the first African Anglican bishop in Nigeria. Crowther was born in 1809 and played a significant role in documenting and preserving Yoruba language and culture.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Akisha. One such person was Akisha Mahalia Simmons (1899-1968), an American civil rights activist and educator who worked tirelessly for racial equality and the advancement of education for African Americans in the southern United States.
Another notable Akisha was Akisha Townsend (1936-2014), an American actress and dancer who appeared in several Broadway productions and television shows, including "The Cosby Show" and "A Different World."
In the literary world, Akisha Hull (born 1974) is a celebrated author and poet from the United States. Her works explore themes of identity, race, and social justice, and she has received numerous awards and accolades for her contributions to contemporary literature.
Akisha Dooley (born 1980) is a prominent American fashion designer and entrepreneur who has gained recognition for her unique and sustainable clothing line, promoting ethical and environmentally conscious practices in the fashion industry.
Lastly, Akisha Jones (born 1978) is a renowned American classical pianist and composer who has performed globally and received critical acclaim for her virtuosic performances and compositions that blend classical and contemporary styles.
People
Akisha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Akisha as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Akisha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Akisha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 347 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Akisha going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 987,765 US residents.
Is Akisha a common name?
We classify Akisha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 80.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 373 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Akisha most popular?
The single biggest year for Akisha was 1977, when 45 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Akisha is about 44 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Akisha in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 343 people with the name Akisha, or 0.11 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #26,904 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Akisha in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Akisha?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Akisha appears almost entirely female. Of the 347 people counted with this name, 99.1% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Akisha?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Akisha is Black at 77.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (5.2%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Akisha most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Akisha in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.0% (264 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Akisha in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Akisha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Akisha in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Akisha still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Akisha in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Akisha can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many people are called Akisha?
You can see how many people have the name Akisha on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.