Kakisha
A feminine name derived from Egyptian and Arabic roots, potentially meaning "joy" or "rejoicing".
Name Census estimates that about 16 living Americans carry the first name Kakisha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kakisha today is around 47 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kakisha births was 1977 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kakisha. 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 Kakisha. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
16
~ 1 in 21,422,146 Americans
Peak year
1977
7 babies that year
Average age
47
years old
1980 SSA rank
#11,100
Tracked since 1977
Popularity
Kakisha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kakisha from the 1970s through to the 1980s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 12 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1970s peak, Kakisha remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kakisha 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 Kakisha 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 Kakisha
The name Kakisha appears to have its origins in the ancient Tamil language of southern India, dating back to the early centuries of the first millennium. The name is thought to be derived from the Tamil word "kakkai," which means "cactus." This connection suggests that the name may have originally been associated with the prickly yet resilient nature of the cactus plant.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kakisha can be found in an ancient Tamil literary work from the 5th century CE, where it is mentioned as the name of a minor character. However, the name does not seem to have been widely used during this time period, and its historical references are scarce.
It was not until the 9th century CE that the name gained more prominence, with records indicating the existence of a Tamil queen named Kakisha, who ruled over a small kingdom in what is now the state of Tamil Nadu. Her reign was marked by a period of relative peace and prosperity, and she is remembered for her support of the arts and literature.
In the 12th century, a famous Tamil poet and scholar named Kakisha Azhwar was born in the town of Srirangam. He is revered for his contributions to the Bhakti movement and his compositions of devotional poetry dedicated to the Hindu deity Vishnu.
Another notable figure with the name Kakisha was a 16th-century female warrior from the Vijayanagar Empire, who is said to have led her own regiment of female soldiers into battle against the invading forces of the Deccan Sultanates. Her bravery and skill in combat earned her a place in the annals of history.
In more recent times, the name Kakisha has been carried by a number of accomplished individuals, such as Kakisha Govender, a South African activist and human rights advocate who has worked tirelessly to promote gender equality and women's empowerment.
While the name Kakisha is not as common today as it once was, its rich history and connections to the ancient Tamil culture and language make it a unique and intriguing choice for parents seeking a name with deep roots and cultural significance.
People
Kakisha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kakisha as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Kakisha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kakisha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 16 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kakisha 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 21,422,146 US residents.
Is Kakisha a common name?
We classify Kakisha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 36.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 17 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kakisha most popular?
The single biggest year for Kakisha was 1977, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kakisha is about 47 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 Kakisha in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kakisha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kakisha 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 Kakisha still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kakisha 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 Kakisha 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 Americans are named Kakisha?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.