Kaneshia
A female name of West African origin meaning "survivor".
Name Census estimates that about 431 living Americans carry the first name Kaneshia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kaneshia today is around 37 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kaneshia births was 1990 (80 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kaneshia. 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
431
~ 1 in 795,254 Americans
Peak year
1990
80 babies that year
Average age
37
years old
1999 SSA rank
#10,837
Tracked since 1973
Popularity
Kaneshia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kaneshia from the 1970s through to the 1990s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 260 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
Kaneshia 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 Kaneshia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kaneshias live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. Georgia, Mississippi, Texas recorded the most babies named Kaneshia, while Tennessee, Louisiana, Alabama recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 15 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kaneshia
The given name Kaneshia is a relatively modern name with uncertain origins. It is believed to have emerged in the 20th century, likely as a variant or combination of other existing names.
One possible source is the name Kaneesha, which is a feminine name of African-American origin. Kaneesha itself is thought to be a blend of the names Kaniya and Keisha, both of which have roots in various African languages.
Another potential influence is the name Kanesha or Kaneesha, which may have originated as a variant of the Hebrew name Kinah, meaning "to lament" or "to chant." However, the connection between Kaneshia and these Hebrew roots is tenuous.
The earliest recorded examples of the name Kaneshia are relatively recent, with the first known instances appearing in the United States in the latter half of the 20th century. It is unclear if the name has any specific cultural or ethnic significance beyond its potential African-American and Hebrew influences.
Notable individuals named Kaneshia throughout history are scarce, as the name itself is relatively new. However, a few examples can be found:
1. Kaneshia Knight, an American basketball player born in 1988, who played in the WNBA for the Minnesota Lynx and Los Angeles Sparks.
2. Kaneshia Renee, an American singer and songwriter born in 1982, known for her work in the R&B and hip-hop genres.
3. Kaneshia Sylvester, an American track and field athlete born in 1989, who competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics in the 400-meter hurdles.
4. Kaneshia Nicole Townsend, an American model and actress born in 1983, known for her work in various television shows and music videos.
5. Kaneshia Ellington, an American basketball player born in 1991, who played professionally in Europe and Australia.
While the name Kaneshia is relatively new and lacks a deep historical background, it has gained popularity in recent decades, particularly within certain cultural communities in the United States.
People
Kaneshia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kaneshia 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
Kaneshia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kaneshia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 431 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kaneshia 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 795,254 US residents.
Is Kaneshia a common name?
We classify Kaneshia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 452 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kaneshia most popular?
The single biggest year for Kaneshia was 1990, when 80 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kaneshia is about 37 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Kaneshia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kaneshia 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.