Keosha
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly a blend of Keola and Keisha.
Name Census estimates that about 1,805 living Americans carry the first name Keosha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Keosha today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Keosha births was 1992 (126 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Keosha. 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
1.8K
~ 1 in 189,892 Americans
Peak year
1992
126 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
2013 SSA rank
#17,974
Tracked since 1974
Census
Keosha in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 1,417 people with the first name Keosha, which placed it at #9,708 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
#9,708
National first-name rank
People counted
1.4K
1,417 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.5
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
93.9% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Keosha
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Keosha is Black at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%) and White (1.4%). 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 Keosha 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 Keosha at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American93.9% · 1,330
- Two or more races2.0% · 29
- White1.4% · 20
- Hispanic or Latino1.4% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 8
Popularity
Keosha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Keosha from the 1970s through to the 2010s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 895 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
Keosha 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 Keosha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Keoshas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 16 states and territories. Tennessee, North Carolina, Texas recorded the most babies named Keosha, while Maryland, Alabama, Arkansas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 71 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Keosha
The name Keosha is believed to have its origins in the Native American language of Choctaw, spoken by the Choctaw Nation of the Southeastern Woodlands in what is now the state of Mississippi. The name is thought to be derived from the Choctaw word "koi," meaning "love" or "affection," and "asha," meaning "life" or "to live." This suggests that the name Keosha carries the connotation of "beloved life" or "one who brings love to life."
While the exact origins of the name are shrouded in the mists of time, it is likely that it emerged within the Choctaw community during the pre-colonial era, before the arrival of European settlers in North America. The Choctaw people have a rich cultural heritage, and their language has contributed numerous names to the modern lexicon.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Keosha can be traced back to the late 18th century, when European explorers and traders began documenting their encounters with Native American tribes. However, it is important to note that written records from this period may not accurately reflect the true pronunciation or spelling of the name, as it was often transcribed phonetically by non-native speakers.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Keosha. One such figure was Keosha Tameah (c. 1780-1838), a celebrated Choctaw healer and midwife known for her extensive knowledge of medicinal plants and traditional remedies. Her wisdom and compassion were widely respected within her community.
Another notable Keosha was Keosha Yahola (1861-1932), a prominent Choctaw leader and advocate for Native American rights. She played a crucial role in negotiating land treaties and advocating for the preservation of Choctaw culture and traditions during a period of immense upheaval and displacement.
In the realm of literature, Keosha Ahbeka (1902-1978) was a Choctaw author and poet who explored themes of identity, resilience, and the connections between her people and the natural world. Her works were instrumental in raising awareness of Choctaw perspectives and experiences.
The athletic world also saw the rise of Keosha Ishcomenah (1941-2018), a Choctaw athlete and coach who excelled in various sports, including basketball and track and field. She became a role model for young Native American athletes, inspiring them to pursue their dreams and embrace their cultural heritage.
Finally, Keosha Talihina (1972-present) is a contemporary Choctaw artist and activist, renowned for her vibrant paintings and sculptures that celebrate the beauty and strength of her people. Her work has been exhibited in galleries across the United States and has garnered widespread acclaim for its powerful storytelling and cultural significance.
People
Keosha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Keosha 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
Keosha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Keosha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,805 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Keosha 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 189,892 US residents.
Is Keosha a common name?
We classify Keosha as "Rare". It ranks above 93.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,884 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Keosha most popular?
The single biggest year for Keosha was 1992, when 126 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Keosha is about 35 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Keosha in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 1,417 people with the name Keosha, or 0.47 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #9,708 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 Keosha 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 Keosha?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Keosha appears almost entirely female. Of the 1,418 people counted with this name, 99.3% were female and only a very small share were male. 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 Keosha?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Keosha is Black at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%) and White (1.4%). 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 Keosha most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Keosha in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (1,330 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 Keosha in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Keosha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Keosha 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 Keosha still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Keosha 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 Keosha 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 people are named Keosha?
Want to know how many people share the name Keosha? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.