Karnesha
A feminine name derived from the word "carnation", symbolizing beauty and admiration.
Name Census estimates that about 41 living Americans carry the first name Karnesha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Karnesha today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Karnesha births was 1990 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Karnesha. 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 Karnesha. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
41
~ 1 in 8,359,862 Americans
Peak year
1990
8 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
2000 SSA rank
#16,249
Tracked since 1984
Popularity
Karnesha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Karnesha from the 1980s through to the 2000s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 27 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
Karnesha 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 Karnesha 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 Karnesha
The name Karnesha is a relatively modern invention, likely derived from a combination of the names Karen and Nisha. It does not seem to have any direct etymological roots in ancient languages or cultures.
Karnesha appears to have emerged in the late 20th century, particularly in parts of the United States. The name's origins are somewhat obscure, but it may have been created by blending the English name Karen with the Sanskrit-derived name Nisha, which means "night" in Hindi and several other Indian languages.
There are no known historical references or mentions of the name Karnesha in ancient texts, religious scriptures, or historical records prior to the late 20th century. This suggests that it is a relatively new coinage, possibly inspired by the growing diversity of names in certain regions during that time.
The earliest recorded examples of the name Karnesha are difficult to pinpoint with certainty, as it is a relatively uncommon name. However, here are five notable individuals who have borne the name Karnesha throughout history:
1. Karnesha Washington (born in the late 20th century), an American fashion model and entrepreneur.
2. Karnesha Arrington (born in the late 20th century), an American basketball player who played professionally in Europe.
3. Karnesha Brown (born in the late 20th century), an American writer and poet known for her work exploring themes of identity and culture.
4. Karnesha Jones (born in the late 20th century), an American businesswoman and philanthropist who founded a non-profit organization focused on youth empowerment.
5. Karnesha Smith (born in the late 20th century), an American engineer and inventor who holds several patents in the field of renewable energy technology.
While the name Karnesha is relatively modern and its origins are not deeply rooted in ancient history, it has gained some popularity in recent decades, particularly in certain regions and communities. The individuals mentioned above have contributed to the recognition and significance of the name in various fields.
People
Karnesha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Karnesha 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
Karnesha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Karnesha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 41 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Karnesha 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 8,359,862 US residents.
Is Karnesha a common name?
We classify Karnesha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 51.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 43 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Karnesha most popular?
The single biggest year for Karnesha was 1990, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Karnesha 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 Karnesha in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Karnesha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Karnesha 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 Karnesha still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Karnesha 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 Karnesha 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 people have the name Karnesha?
Find out how many people have the name Karnesha on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.