Kamesha
A feminine name of African-American origin, meaning "beautiful child".
Name Census estimates that about 1,046 living Americans carry the first name Kamesha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kamesha today is around 39 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kamesha births was 1990 (67 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kamesha. 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
1.0K
~ 1 in 327,681 Americans
Peak year
1990
67 babies that year
Average age
39
years old
2009 SSA rank
#16,194
Tracked since 1972
Popularity
Kamesha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kamesha from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 461 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kamesha 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 Kamesha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kameshas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 11 states and territories. Texas, New York, Georgia recorded the most babies named Kamesha, while North Carolina, Mississippi, Virginia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 21 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kamesha
The name Kamesha is a modern variation of the traditional African name Kameesha, which has its origins in the Swahili language. The name itself is derived from the Swahili word "kamili," meaning "complete" or "perfect."
In its earliest recorded use, the name Kamesha was found in East African coastal regions, particularly in Kenya and Tanzania, where Swahili is widely spoken. The name gained popularity among the Swahili-speaking communities in these areas during the 19th century.
While there are no known historical references to the name Kamesha in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is believed to have been used as a name for newborn girls, conveying a sense of perfection and completeness.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Kamesha was Kamesha Aisha, a prominent Swahili poet and storyteller who lived in Zanzibar in the late 19th century. Her works celebrated the rich cultural heritage of the Swahili people and played a significant role in preserving their oral traditions.
Another notable figure was Kamesha Abdallah, a Kenyan educator and women's rights activist born in 1920. She dedicated her life to promoting education and empowerment for girls and women in her community, establishing several schools and vocational training centers.
In the realm of sports, Kamesha Mboya, a Kenyan sprinter born in 1962, made her mark by winning multiple medals at various international competitions, including the Commonwealth Games and the African Championships.
The name Kamesha also gained recognition in the field of music with Kamesha Ramadhan, a celebrated Tanzanian singer and songwriter born in 1975. Her soulful voice and poetic lyrics captivated audiences across East Africa, and she is considered one of the most influential artists of her generation.
Lastly, Kamesha Noor, a Kenyan-born fashion designer and entrepreneur born in 1985, has gained international acclaim for her innovative and sustainable clothing line, which draws inspiration from traditional African textiles and designs.
These individuals, spanning various fields and time periods, have contributed to the rich cultural tapestry associated with the name Kamesha, carrying forward its essence of completeness and perfection through their remarkable achievements and impact.
People
Kamesha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kamesha 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
Kamesha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kamesha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,046 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kamesha 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 327,681 US residents.
Is Kamesha a common name?
We classify Kamesha as "Rare". It ranks above 90.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,105 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kamesha most popular?
The single biggest year for Kamesha was 1990, when 67 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kamesha is about 39 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Kamesha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kamesha 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.