Kanasha
A feminine name of unknown origin, possibly derived from the Native American Kanash language.
Name Census estimates that about 29 living Americans carry the first name Kanasha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kanasha today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kanasha births was 1987 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kanasha. 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 Kanasha. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
29
~ 1 in 11,819,115 Americans
Peak year
1987
7 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
1996 SSA rank
#11,134
Tracked since 1984
Popularity
Kanasha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kanasha from the 1980s through to the 1990s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 17 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
Kanasha 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 Kanasha 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 Kanasha
The name Kanasha is believed to have originated from the Sanskrit language, which was prevalent in ancient India. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "kanisha," which means "youngest" or "little one." This suggests that the name was initially given to the youngest child in a family or to someone of a small stature.
During the ancient period, the name Kanasha was primarily used in parts of the Indian subcontinent, particularly in regions where Sanskrit was widely spoken and understood. It is possible that the name appeared in some Hindu religious texts or ancient manuscripts, although specific references are difficult to trace due to the vast number of historical records from that era.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kanasha can be found in the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata. It is mentioned as the name of a minor character, a servant or attendant to one of the central figures in the epic. However, details about this character's life and significance are scarce.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Kanasha. One of the most prominent figures was Kanasha Rani, a 16th-century Indian queen who ruled over a small kingdom in present-day Rajasthan. She was known for her valor and leadership during a time of political turmoil in the region.
Another notable bearer of the name was Kanasha Devi, a 17th-century Hindu mystic and poet from the northern Indian region of Uttar Pradesh. She is credited with composing several devotional hymns and poems that are still revered by certain Hindu communities today.
In the realm of arts and literature, Kanasha Bharati was a 19th-century Bengali writer and playwright who contributed significantly to the renaissance of Bengali literature during the late 19th century. Her works often explored themes of social reform and women's empowerment.
Moving into more recent times, Kanasha Singh was an Indian freedom fighter who participated in the struggle for independence from British rule in the early 20th century. She was imprisoned for her involvement in the non-violent resistance movement led by Mahatma Gandhi.
Finally, Kanasha Bhandari was a 20th-century Indian classical dancer and choreographer who played a pivotal role in reviving and preserving the ancient dance forms of India. She was awarded several prestigious honors for her contributions to the arts during her lifetime.
People
Kanasha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kanasha 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
Kanasha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kanasha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 29 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kanasha 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 11,819,115 US residents.
Is Kanasha a common name?
We classify Kanasha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 46% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 30 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kanasha most popular?
The single biggest year for Kanasha was 1987, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kanasha is about 35 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 Kanasha in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kanasha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kanasha 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 Kanasha still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kanasha 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 Kanasha 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 Kanasha?
See how many Americans are named Kanasha on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.