Lateesha
An English feminine name meaning "late arrival or late birth".
Name Census estimates that about 419 living Americans carry the first name Lateesha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Lateesha today is around 41 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lateesha births was 1984 (26 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lateesha. 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
419
~ 1 in 818,029 Americans
Peak year
1984
26 babies that year
Average age
41
years old
2003 SSA rank
#14,931
Tracked since 1972
Popularity
Lateesha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lateesha from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 202 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lateesha 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 Lateesha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Lateeshas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Lateesha
The name Lateesha is a modern variation of the traditional African name Letitia, which has its roots in the Latin word "laetitia," meaning "joy" or "happiness." This name gained popularity during the Roman Empire and was often given to children as a symbol of the joy they brought to their families.
In its earliest form, the name Letitia was used by several notable figures in ancient Rome, including Letitia Magna, a Roman matron who lived in the 2nd century AD and was known for her philanthropic works. The name also appeared in various literary works of the time, such as the writings of Ovid and Virgil.
As Christianity spread throughout Europe, the name Letitia became associated with the concept of spiritual joy and was adopted by several early Christian saints. One of the most notable was Saint Letitia, a 3rd-century martyr who was executed for her faith during the reign of Emperor Aurelian.
During the Middle Ages, the name Letitia experienced a resurgence in popularity, particularly in France and England. It was often spelled as "Laetitia" or "Lettice," and was borne by several noblewomen, including Lettice Knollys, a cousin of Queen Elizabeth I, who lived from 1543 to 1634.
Over time, the name evolved into various regional variations, including the French "Létitia" and the English "Letitia." In the 20th century, the name Lateesha emerged as a modern African-American variation, reflecting the cultural influence and diversity of the United States.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Lateesha or its variations, including:
1. Lateesha Naaké, a South African actress and television presenter born in 1984.
2. Letitia Wright, a Guyanese-British actress best known for her role as Shuri in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, born in 1993.
3. Letitia Baldrige, an American author and etiquette expert who served as the Social Secretary during the Kennedy administration, born in 1926 and died in 2012.
4. Letitia Elizabeth Landon, an English poet and novelist who lived from 1802 to 1838, known for her works of romantic poetry.
5. Letitia Fairbanks, an American silent film actress who appeared in several movies in the early 20th century, born in 1892 and died in 1923.
While the name Lateesha is a relatively modern variation, it carries a rich history and cultural significance, rooted in the concept of joy and happiness, and has been borne by several notable individuals throughout the centuries.
People
Lateesha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lateesha as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Lateesha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lateesha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 419 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lateesha 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 818,029 US residents.
Is Lateesha a common name?
We classify Lateesha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 446 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lateesha most popular?
The single biggest year for Lateesha was 1984, when 26 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lateesha is about 41 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Lateesha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lateesha 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.