Aleesha
Of Arabic origin, meaning "most exalted, loftiest, supreme".
Name Census estimates that about 1,873 living Americans carry the first name Aleesha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Aleesha today is around 31 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Aleesha births was 1992 (90 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Aleesha. 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 Aleesha with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
1.9K
~ 1 in 182,998 Americans
Peak year
1992
90 babies that year
Average age
31
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,554
Tracked since 1970
Census
Aleesha in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 1,712 people with the first name Aleesha, which placed it at #8,469 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
#8,469
National first-name rank
People counted
1.7K
1,712 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.6
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
51.1% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Aleesha
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Aleesha is White at 51.1%. The next largest groups are Black (21.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (9.6%). 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 Aleesha 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 Aleesha at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White51.1% · 875
- Black or African American21.8% · 374
- Asian and Pacific Islander9.6% · 165
- Two or more races8.1% · 139
- Hispanic or Latino8.1% · 138
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 21
Popularity
Aleesha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Aleesha from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 787 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Aleesha 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 Aleesha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Aleeshas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 14 states and territories. California, Pennsylvania, New York recorded the most babies named Aleesha, while North Carolina, Minnesota, New Jersey recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 30 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Aleesha
The name Aleesha is believed to have originated from the Arabic language, with its roots traced back to the name Aliyah, meaning "exalted" or "superior." It is a feminine name that gained popularity in the Indian subcontinent, particularly in the Muslim communities of South Asia.
In the early Islamic era, the name Aleesha emerged as a variation of Aliyah, influenced by the regional linguistic and cultural nuances. It was often associated with individuals of high social standing or those who possessed noble qualities. The name's popularity spread beyond the Indian subcontinent, finding its way into various cultures and communities around the world.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Aleesha can be found in the classical Arabic literature, where it was used to refer to esteemed individuals. However, it is important to note that the name's widespread usage and recognition gained momentum in more recent times, particularly in the 20th century.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Aleesha. One such individual was Aleesha Naqvi (1914-2003), a celebrated Pakistani writer and poet known for her contribution to Urdu literature. Her works explored themes of love, spirituality, and the human experience, earning her widespread acclaim.
Another prominent figure was Aleesha Khan (1935-2008), an Indian classical dancer and choreographer. She was renowned for her expertise in the Kathak dance form and played a significant role in preserving and promoting this traditional Indian art form on a global stage.
In the realm of sports, Aleesha Gaye (born 1984) is a notable name. She is a former Australian basketball player who represented her country in several international competitions, including the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Aleesha Sahib (1760-1818) was an influential Muslim scholar and Sufi mystic from the Indian subcontinent. Her teachings and writings on spirituality and Islamic philosophy had a profound impact on the religious and intellectual landscape of her time.
Lastly, Aleesha Ismail (born 1990) is a contemporary Singaporean actress and model who has gained recognition for her roles in various television shows and films, showcasing her talent and versatility in the entertainment industry.
These individuals, spanning different eras and fields, have contributed to the rich tapestry of history and culture, leaving an indelible mark on their respective domains while carrying the name Aleesha.
People
Aleesha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Aleesha 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
Aleesha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Aleesha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,873 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Aleesha 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 182,998 US residents.
Is Aleesha a common name?
We classify Aleesha as "Rare". It ranks above 93.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,942 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Aleesha most popular?
The single biggest year for Aleesha was 1992, when 90 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Aleesha is about 31 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Aleesha in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 1,712 people with the name Aleesha, or 0.57 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #8,469 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 Aleesha 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 Aleesha?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Aleesha appears almost entirely female. Of the 1,716 people counted with this name, 99.7% 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 Aleesha?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Aleesha is White at 51.1%. The next largest groups are Black (21.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (9.6%). 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 Aleesha most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Aleesha in the 2020 Census, accounting for 51.1% (875 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 Aleesha in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Aleesha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Aleesha 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 Aleesha still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Aleesha 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 Aleesha 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 named Aleesha?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans are named Aleesha at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.