Leesha
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly related to Líadain, an Irish name.
Name Census estimates that about 419 living Americans carry the first name Leesha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Leesha today is around 41 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Leesha births was 1992 (33 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Leesha. 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
1992
33 babies that year
Average age
41
years old
2019 SSA rank
#14,817
Tracked since 1960
Popularity
Leesha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Leesha from the 1960s through to the 2010s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 157 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
Leesha 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 Leesha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Leeshas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Leesha
Leesha is a feminine given name with origins that can be traced back to several cultures and languages. It is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit word "Lekha," which means "writing" or "inscription." This name was prevalent in ancient India and was often associated with the Hindu goddess of wisdom, learning, and the arts.
In the Middle Ages, the name Leesha gained popularity in parts of Europe, particularly in regions influenced by the Romani culture. The Romani people, also known as Gypsies, are an ethnic group with roots in the Indian subcontinent. It is possible that the name Leesha was introduced to Europe through the Romani migrations and their cultural exchanges with other communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Leesha can be found in the historical accounts of the Byzantine Empire. In the 9th century, a noblewoman named Leesha was mentioned in the chronicles of the emperor Basil I, known as the Macedonian dynasty. Her exact role or significance is not well documented, but her name's appearance in these records suggests that it was in use during that era.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Leesha. In the 12th century, Leesha of Kyiv was a prominent figure in the court of the Kievan Rus', known for her patronage of the arts and her influential role in the cultural and religious affairs of the region.
During the Renaissance period, Leesha Montaldi (1450-1521) was an Italian painter and sculptor from Florence. Her works, although not as renowned as those of her male contemporaries, were praised for their attention to detail and their depiction of everyday life.
In the 19th century, Leesha Kapoor (1825-1892) was a prominent Indian educator and social reformer. She founded several schools for girls in the city of Lucknow and played a significant role in promoting women's education and empowerment in colonial India.
Another notable figure was Leesha Kovalenko (1890-1972), a Ukrainian-born American writer and activist. She was a influential voice in the Ukrainian diaspora in the United States and wrote extensively about the struggles of Ukrainian immigrants and the preservation of their cultural heritage.
Leesha Nkosi (1920-1998) was a South African anti-apartheid activist and trade unionist. She played a crucial role in organizing and leading protests against the apartheid regime and advocating for the rights of workers and marginalized communities.
People
Leesha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Leesha 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
Leesha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Leesha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 419 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Leesha 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 Leesha a common name?
We classify Leesha 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, 453 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Leesha most popular?
The single biggest year for Leesha was 1992, when 33 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Leesha is about 41 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Leesha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Leesha 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.