Lekisha
A feminine name of African origin meaning "bright, shining one".
Name Census estimates that about 846 living Americans carry the first name Lekisha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Lekisha today is around 46 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lekisha births was 1980 (92 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lekisha. 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
846
~ 1 in 405,147 Americans
Peak year
1980
92 babies that year
Average age
46
years old
1994 SSA rank
#11,238
Tracked since 1971
Popularity
Lekisha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lekisha from the 1970s through to the 1990s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 440 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
Lekisha 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 Lekisha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Lekishas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 13 states and territories. Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi recorded the most babies named Lekisha, while Ohio, Georgia, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 23 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Lekisha
The name Lekisha has its origins in the Yoruba language, which is spoken in parts of West Africa, primarily in Nigeria and the surrounding regions. The name is derived from the Yoruba words "Oleke" and "Isha," which together mean "one who is honored and respected."
In the Yoruba culture, names often carry deep cultural and spiritual significance, and Lekisha is no exception. The name is believed to bestow upon its bearer a sense of dignity, reverence, and a desire to be held in high esteem by others.
While the exact origins of the name are difficult to pinpoint, it is widely accepted that Lekisha emerged as a popular name among the Yoruba people during the 18th and 19th centuries. During this time, the Yoruba people experienced a cultural renaissance, and the naming traditions became more refined and symbolic.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Lekisha can be found in the writings of Samuel Ajayi Crowther, a Yoruba linguist and the first African Anglican bishop in Nigeria, who lived from 1809 to 1891. In his work, Crowther documented the Yoruba language and its naming traditions, providing valuable insights into the cultural significance of names like Lekisha.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Lekisha, including:
1. Lekisha Battle (born 1977), an American former professional basketball player who played in the WNBA.
2. Lekisha Gunn (born 1984), an American former professional basketball player who played in the WNBA and overseas.
3. Lekisha Scott (born 1978), an American former professional basketball player who played in the WNBA and overseas.
4. Lekisha Jenkins (born 1983), an American former professional basketball player who played in the WNBA and overseas.
5. Lekisha Vicks (born 1977), an American former professional basketball player who played in the WNBA and overseas.
While the name Lekisha has its roots in the Yoruba culture, it has gained popularity across various cultures and communities around the world, particularly in the United States and other parts of the African diaspora. The name continues to be a source of pride and cultural identity for many who bear it, carrying with it a rich history and a profound sense of respect and honor.
People
Lekisha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lekisha 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
Lekisha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lekisha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 846 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lekisha 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 405,147 US residents.
Is Lekisha a common name?
We classify Lekisha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 914 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lekisha most popular?
The single biggest year for Lekisha was 1980, when 92 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lekisha is about 46 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Lekisha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lekisha 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.