Felesha
A female name of uncertain origin, potentially a blend of feminizations.
Name Census estimates that about 163 living Americans carry the first name Felesha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Felesha today is around 46 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Felesha births was 1971 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Felesha. 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
163
~ 1 in 2,102,787 Americans
Peak year
1971
13 babies that year
Average age
46
years old
1993 SSA rank
#9,871
Tracked since 1963
Popularity
Felesha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Felesha from the 1960s through to the 1990s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 79 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1970s peak, Felesha remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Felesha 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 Felesha 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 Felesha
The name Felesha is believed to have originated from the Yoruba language, spoken primarily in West Africa, particularly in Nigeria. It is thought to be a combination of the Yoruba words "fe" meaning "love" and "lesha" meaning "blessing" or "precious gift." The name, therefore, carries the meaning of a beloved or precious gift.
The earliest known use of the name Felesha dates back to the late 19th century, when it was documented among the Yoruba people of Nigeria. However, it is likely that the name had been in use for generations before being recorded in written form.
During the transatlantic slave trade, many Yoruba people were brought to the Americas, and it is possible that the name Felesha was introduced to the Caribbean and parts of North and South America through this diaspora. Over time, the name gained popularity and spread to other regions.
While no specific historical figures are widely known to have borne the name Felesha in ancient times, it is worth noting that the Yoruba culture has a rich oral tradition and history, where names often carry significant cultural and spiritual meanings.
Some notable individuals named Felesha include Felesha Munoz, an American author and poet born in 1976, who has published several collections of poetry exploring themes of identity, culture, and family. Felesha Green, born in 1984, is an American professional basketball player who has played for several teams in the WNBA.
Felesha Joy, born in 1981, is a British singer and songwriter known for her work in the neo-soul and R&B genres. Felesha Paulhill, born in 1970, is an American painter and artist whose works have been exhibited in galleries across the United States.
Felesha Crisp, born in 1978, is an American entrepreneur and motivational speaker who has authored several books on personal development and empowerment.
People
Felesha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Felesha as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with F
Other first names starting with F with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Felesha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Felesha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 163 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Felesha 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 2,102,787 US residents.
Is Felesha a common name?
We classify Felesha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 71.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 177 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Felesha most popular?
The single biggest year for Felesha was 1971, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Felesha is about 46 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Felesha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Felesha 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.
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.