Keisa
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly from Japanese meaning "blessed" or "lucky".
Name Census estimates that about 357 living Americans carry the first name Keisa. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Keisa today is around 49 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Keisa births was 1976 (65 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Keisa. 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
357
~ 1 in 960,096 Americans
Peak year
1976
65 babies that year
Average age
49
years old
1993 SSA rank
#11,162
Tracked since 1966
Census
Keisa in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 435 people with the first name Keisa, which placed it at #22,776 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#22,776
National first-name rank
People counted
435
435 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
66.0% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Keisa
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Keisa is Black at 66.0%. The next largest groups are White (14.5%) and Hispanic (11.0%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Keisa described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Keisa at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American66.0% · 287
- White14.5% · 63
- Hispanic or Latino11.0% · 48
- Two or more races5.5% · 24
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.6% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 6
Popularity
Keisa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Keisa from the 1960s through to the 1990s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 269 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Keisa 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 Keisa during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Keisas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 9 states and territories. Georgia, California, Louisiana recorded the most babies named Keisa, while Texas, North Carolina, Maryland recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 13 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Keisa
The given name Keisa has its origins rooted in the ancient Sanskrit language, which was prevalent in the Indian subcontinent during the Vedic period, dating back to the 2nd millennium BCE. It is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word "kesha," which translates to "hair" or "locks of hair." This linguistic connection suggests that the name Keisa may have been initially associated with individuals possessing remarkable or distinctive hair.
Early references to the name Keisa can be traced back to ancient Hindu scriptures and texts, such as the Vedas and the Puranas. In these sacred writings, the name is mentioned in association with deities and mythological figures revered for their beauty, strength, and wisdom. However, the exact context and significance of the name within these texts remain open to scholarly interpretation.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the name Keisa was a renowned sage and philosopher who lived during the 6th century BCE in the region of present-day India. Historical accounts depict him as a highly respected spiritual leader and teacher, renowned for his profound insights and ability to impart wisdom to his disciples.
In the 3rd century CE, the name Keisa gained prominence with the rise of a powerful queen who ruled over a significant portion of the Indian subcontinent. Queen Keisa was celebrated for her strategic military campaigns, her patronage of the arts and sciences, and her commitment to religious tolerance and cultural diversity within her kingdom.
During the medieval period, a renowned poet and scholar named Keisa gained recognition for his contributions to the field of literature and philosophy. Born in the 9th century CE, his works explored themes of love, spirituality, and the human condition, leaving an indelible mark on the literary traditions of the region.
In more recent times, Keisa Kamishi, a Japanese artist and calligrapher born in 1932, achieved international acclaim for her exquisite brushwork and her ability to infuse each stroke with profound emotion and energy. Her works have been exhibited in prestigious galleries and museums around the world, cementing her legacy as a master of her craft.
Another notable figure bearing the name Keisa was Keisa Morales, a pioneering environmental activist from Ecuador, born in 1955. Her tireless efforts to protect the Amazon rainforest and the rights of indigenous communities earned her numerous accolades, including the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize in 2007.
While the name Keisa may have evolved and taken on various cultural influences over time, its roots can be traced back to the ancient Sanskrit language, reflecting a rich tapestry of linguistic and cultural heritage.
People
Keisa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Keisa 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
Keisa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Keisa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 357 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Keisa 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 960,096 US residents.
Is Keisa a common name?
We classify Keisa as "Very Rare". It ranks above 81.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 391 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Keisa most popular?
The single biggest year for Keisa was 1976, when 65 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Keisa is about 49 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Keisa in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 435 people with the name Keisa, or 0.14 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #22,776 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Keisa in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Keisa?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Keisa leans strongly female. 425 people counted with this name were female (98.8%), compared with 5 male bearers (1.2%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Keisa?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Keisa is Black at 66.0%. The next largest groups are White (14.5%) and Hispanic (11.0%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Keisa most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Keisa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.0% (287 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Keisa in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Keisa a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Keisa 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 Keisa still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Keisa 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 Keisa 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.
How many Americans are named Keisa?
See how many Americans are named Keisa on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.