Carnisha
A feminine name derived from the English word "carnation", symbolic of love.
Name Census estimates that about 187 living Americans carry the first name Carnisha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Carnisha today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Carnisha births was 1992 (22 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Carnisha. 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.
People living today
187
~ 1 in 1,832,911 Americans
Peak year
1992
22 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
2001 SSA rank
#13,828
Tracked since 1976
Census
Carnisha in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 178 people with the first name Carnisha, which placed it at #41,266 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
#41,266
National first-name rank
People counted
178
178 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
95.5% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Carnisha
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Carnisha is Black at 95.5%. The next largest groups are White (1.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Carnisha 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 Carnisha at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American95.5% · 170
- White1.7% · 3
- Two or more races1.7% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 2
Popularity
Carnisha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Carnisha from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 111 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
Carnisha 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 Carnisha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Carnisha
The given name Carnisha is a relatively modern invention, with its origins rooted in the 20th century African-American community. It is believed to have been derived from a combination of the prefix "Car-" and the root "-nisha," which may have been influenced by popular names like Tanisha or Anisha.
While the exact origin of the name Carnisha is uncertain, some linguists suggest it may have been inspired by the French word "carnation," a type of flower. This theory posits that the name was created to evoke a sense of beauty and femininity, much like the vibrant hues of the carnation bloom.
Historically, the name Carnisha does not appear to have any direct references in ancient texts or religious scriptures. Its emergence is relatively recent, gaining popularity in the latter half of the 20th century, particularly among African-American families seeking unique and distinctive names for their daughters.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Carnisha dates back to the 1960s, though specific individuals from that era are challenging to identify due to the scarcity of comprehensive records. As the name gained traction in the following decades, several notable individuals have borne the name Carnisha.
Carnisha Pryor, born in 1975, was a celebrated track and field athlete who competed in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia, representing the United States. Her achievements included winning a gold medal in the 4x400-meter relay event.
Carnisha Thomas, born in 1982, is a renowned American gospel singer and songwriter. She has released several successful albums and has been recognized with multiple Stellar Award nominations for her contributions to contemporary gospel music.
Carnisha Maxwell, born in 1988, is an influential fashion designer and entrepreneur. Her eponymous clothing line, which celebrates diversity and body positivity, has gained a dedicated following and has been featured in various high-profile publications.
Carnisha Walcott, born in 1992, is a respected journalist and author. Her groundbreaking work on social justice issues and her thought-provoking book, "Voices Unheard," have earned her critical acclaim and numerous awards.
Carnisha Yvette Robinson, born in 1998, is a rising star in the world of classical music. As a gifted violinist, she has performed with prestigious orchestras and has been lauded for her virtuosic talent and emotional depth.
While these examples showcase the diversity of individuals who have borne the name Carnisha throughout recent history, it is important to note that the name's origins and evolution continue to be studied and discussed within linguistic and cultural circles.
People
Carnisha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Carnisha as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Carnisha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Carnisha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 187 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Carnisha 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 1,832,911 US residents.
Is Carnisha a common name?
We classify Carnisha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 73.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 195 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Carnisha most popular?
The single biggest year for Carnisha was 1992, when 22 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Carnisha is about 35 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Carnisha in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 178 people with the name Carnisha, or 0.06 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #41,266 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 Carnisha 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 Carnisha?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Carnisha leans strongly female. 181 people counted with this name were female (98.4%), compared with 3 male bearers (1.6%). 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 Carnisha?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Carnisha is Black at 95.5%. The next largest groups are White (1.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Carnisha most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Carnisha in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.5% (170 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 Carnisha in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Carnisha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Carnisha 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 Carnisha still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Carnisha 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 Carnisha 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 Carnisha?
See how many people share the name Carnisha on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.