Kyshia
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly derived from the Greek word "kyrios" meaning "lord".
Name Census estimates that about 31 living Americans carry the first name Kyshia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kyshia today is around 53 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kyshia births was 1968 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kyshia. 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 Kyshia. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
31
~ 1 in 11,056,592 Americans
Peak year
1968
7 babies that year
Average age
53
years old
1979 SSA rank
#8,498
Tracked since 1968
Popularity
Kyshia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kyshia from the 1960s through to the 1970s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 28 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
Kyshia 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 Kyshia 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 Kyshia
The name Kyshia has its roots in the African American community, originating as a creative spelling variation of the more traditional name Keisha. Its origins can be traced back to the 1960s and 1970s when many African American families began intentionally spelling names in unique ways to celebrate their cultural identity.
While the exact etymology is unclear, some scholars believe Kyshia may have derived from the Arabic name Qaisiah, meaning "winding river" or "prosperous." Others suggest it could be a variation of the Irish name Caiside, which means "pure" or "virtuous." However, these connections remain speculative, and the name's true origins are unknown.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kyshia can be found in the 1971 book "Black Baby Names" by Mariah Parker, which included it as a suggested name for African American babies. This book played a significant role in popularizing unique name spellings within the community during that era.
Throughout history, a handful of notable individuals have borne the name Kyshia. One such person was Kyshia Loyd (born 1974), an American artist and activist known for her work in promoting social justice and empowerment through her paintings and murals. Another was Kyshia Jennings (1982-2005), a young woman whose tragic death at the hands of police sparked protests and calls for reform in her hometown of Benton Harbor, Michigan.
In the realm of sports, Kyshia Brooks (born 1988) was a standout basketball player at the University of Texas, earning All-American honors before embarking on a professional career in Europe. Meanwhile, Kyshia Collier (born 1992) was a track and field athlete who competed in the long jump and triple jump for the University of Southern California.
One of the most notable figures with the name Kyshia was likely Kyshia Fuson (1977-2016), a celebrated chef and restaurateur who owned and operated several successful eateries in New Orleans, earning widespread acclaim for her innovative take on Creole and Cajun cuisine.
People
Kyshia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kyshia 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
Kyshia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kyshia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 31 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kyshia 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 11,056,592 US residents.
Is Kyshia a common name?
We classify Kyshia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 47% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 35 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kyshia most popular?
The single biggest year for Kyshia was 1968, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kyshia is about 53 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 Kyshia in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kyshia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kyshia 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 Kyshia still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kyshia 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 Kyshia 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 share the name Kyshia?
Find out how many people share the name Kyshia on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.