Ishea
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly from a Native American language.
Name Census estimates that about 25 living Americans carry the first name Ishea. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ishea today is around 39 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ishea births was 1991 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ishea. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ishea. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
25
~ 1 in 13,710,174 Americans
Peak year
1991
9 babies that year
Average age
39
years old
1997 SSA rank
#14,603
Tracked since 1975
Popularity
Ishea: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ishea from the 1970s through to the 1990s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 14 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ishea 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 Ishea 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 Ishea
The name Ishea is believed to have originated from the ancient Hebrew language, with its roots dating back to biblical times. The name is derived from the Hebrew word "Yishah," which means "woman" or "female." It is thought to be a variation of the more commonly known name "Isha."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ishea can be found in the Old Testament of the Bible. In the Book of Genesis, there is a reference to a woman named Ishea, who was the daughter of Haran and the niece of Abraham. However, little is known about her beyond this brief mention.
Throughout history, the name Ishea has been relatively uncommon, but there have been a few notable individuals who bore this name. One such person was Ishea Abramson, a Polish-born American poet and writer who lived from 1892 to 1967. She was known for her works that explored themes of Jewish identity and the immigrant experience.
Another individual named Ishea was Ishea Goldsmith, a British artist and sculptor who lived from 1923 to 2009. She was renowned for her abstract sculptures and installations, and her works can be found in various museums and galleries around the world.
In the realm of music, there was Ishea Stevenson, an American jazz singer and songwriter who was active in the 1940s and 1950s. She is remembered for her contributions to the development of the West Coast jazz scene.
Ishea Gamble was an American educator and civil rights activist who lived from 1919 to 2004. She dedicated her life to promoting equal educational opportunities for African American students and played a significant role in the desegregation of schools in the United States.
Lastly, Ishea Harrington was a Canadian author and journalist who lived from 1935 to 2018. She wrote several books on topics ranging from travel to personal memoirs, and her works often explored themes of identity and cultural diversity.
While the name Ishea has remained relatively rare throughout history, it has been borne by individuals from various backgrounds and professions, each leaving their mark in their respective fields. The name's Hebrew origins and biblical connections have contributed to its enduring legacy, ensuring that it continues to be passed down from generation to generation.
People
Ishea + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ishea as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with I
Other first names starting with I with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ishea: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ishea?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 25 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ishea 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 13,710,174 US residents.
Is Ishea a common name?
We classify Ishea as "Very Rare". It ranks above 43.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 26 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ishea most popular?
The single biggest year for Ishea was 1991, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ishea is about 39 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
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 Ishea in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ishea a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ishea 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 Ishea still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ishea 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 Ishea 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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Ishea?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.