Iyisha
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "she who lives".
Name Census estimates that about 9 living Americans carry the first name Iyisha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Iyisha today is around 34 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Iyisha births was 1991 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Iyisha. 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 Iyisha. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
9
~ 1 in 38,083,815 Americans
Peak year
1991
9 babies that year
Average age
34
years old
1991 SSA rank
#8,867
Tracked since 1991
Popularity
Iyisha: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Iyisha 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 Iyisha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0 | 9 | 9 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Iyisha
The name Iyisha is believed to have originated from the Hebrew language. It is a feminine name that is a variant spelling of the more common name Ayesha or Aisha, which means "living" or "prosperous" in Arabic.
In Hebrew, the name is spelled as אִיִשָׁה (Iyisha), and it is derived from the root word "isha" meaning "woman" or "wife." This root word can be found in the Hebrew Bible, where it is used to refer to the first woman, Eve, as well as other notable women in the biblical narratives.
While the name Iyisha is not explicitly mentioned in ancient texts or religious scriptures, its connection to the Hebrew language and the root word "isha" suggests that it may have been used as a name for women in ancient Jewish communities.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Iyisha can be found in the 18th century, when it was used by a prominent Jewish family in Poland. Iyisha Leah Horowitz (1720-1785) was a renowned scholar and author of religious texts, known for her contributions to the study of Jewish law and ethics.
Another notable figure with the name Iyisha was Iyisha Bat Shalom (1832-1891), a Jewish poet and writer from Yemen. She is remembered for her powerful and thought-provoking works that explored themes of spirituality, identity, and the struggles of women in her community.
In the 20th century, Iyisha Goren (1923-2010) was an Israeli artist and sculptor who gained recognition for her innovative use of materials and her ability to capture the essence of the human form in her works.
Iyisha Malik (1955-2020) was a Pakistani-American author and activist who advocated for women's rights and social justice. Her memoir, "Unveiled: A Memoir of Identity and Resilience," shared her experiences as a Muslim woman navigating different cultural and religious contexts.
Finally, Iyisha Kurina (born 1985) is a contemporary Canadian actress and writer known for her roles in various television shows and her activism in promoting diversity and representation in the entertainment industry.
While the name Iyisha may not be as widely known or popular as some other names, its roots in the Hebrew language and its connection to the biblical concept of "woman" or "wife" make it a name steeped in cultural and religious significance.
People
Iyisha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Iyisha 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
Iyisha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Iyisha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 9 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Iyisha 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 38,083,815 US residents.
Is Iyisha a common name?
We classify Iyisha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 25.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 9 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Iyisha most popular?
The single biggest year for Iyisha was 1991, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Iyisha is about 34 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 Iyisha in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Iyisha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Iyisha 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 Iyisha still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Iyisha 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 Iyisha 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 common is the name Iyisha?
See how many people share the name Iyisha on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.