Kaneesha
A feminine name of uncertain origin possibly derived from an Indian language.
Name Census estimates that about 462 living Americans carry the first name Kaneesha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kaneesha today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kaneesha births was 1990 (175 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kaneesha. 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
462
~ 1 in 741,893 Americans
Peak year
1990
175 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
2001 SSA rank
#9,042
Tracked since 1977
Popularity
Kaneesha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kaneesha from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 374 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kaneesha 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 Kaneesha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kaneeshas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 15 states and territories. Georgia, North Carolina, Texas recorded the most babies named Kaneesha, while Tennessee, New York, Virginia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 12 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kaneesha
The name Kaneesha is thought to have its origins in the Sanskrit language, with roots dating back to ancient India. It is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word "Kanishtha," which means "the youngest" or "the smallest." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to the youngest child in a family.
In Hindu mythology, Kanishtha is also the name of one of the eight Vasus, who are minor deities associated with natural phenomena such as the earth, wind, and fire. The Vasus are mentioned in the Vedas, the oldest scriptures of Hinduism, which date back to around 1500-500 BCE.
The earliest recorded use of the name Kaneesha is difficult to pinpoint precisely, as historical records from ancient India are often limited or incomplete. However, it is likely that the name has been in use for centuries, if not millennia, within various Indian communities and cultures.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Kaneesha was Kaneesha Devi, a 16th-century queen of the Rajput kingdom of Marwar (now part of Rajasthan, India). She was known for her bravery and leadership during times of conflict and is celebrated in local folklore and literature.
Another prominent figure with this name was Kaneesha Dutt, a 19th-century Indian poet and writer from Bengal. He was a prolific author and is best known for his collection of poems titled "Kavitanjali," which explored themes of love, nature, and spirituality.
In the 20th century, Kaneesha Sarabhai was an influential Indian dancer and choreographer. Born in 1924, she played a significant role in reviving and promoting the classical dance form of Bharatanatyam, which had fallen into decline during the colonial era.
Kaneesha Nanavati was a notable Indian aviator and one of the first women in India to obtain a commercial pilot's license. Born in 1917, she made history by becoming the first Indian woman to co-pilot a commercial aircraft in 1953.
Kaneesha Chaudhuri was a renowned Indian classical singer and musician from the 20th century. Born in 1936, she was a highly respected exponent of the Khayal style of Hindustani classical music and was awarded the Padma Bhushan, one of India's highest civilian honors, in 1992.
People
Kaneesha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kaneesha 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
Kaneesha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kaneesha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 462 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kaneesha 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 741,893 US residents.
Is Kaneesha a common name?
We classify Kaneesha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 482 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kaneesha most popular?
The single biggest year for Kaneesha was 1990, when 175 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kaneesha is about 35 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Kaneesha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kaneesha 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.