Markeesha
A feminine variant of the name Mark of Latin origin meaning "warlike" or "dedicated to Mars".
Name Census estimates that about 76 living Americans carry the first name Markeesha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Markeesha today is around 36 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Markeesha births was 1993 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Markeesha. 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 Markeesha. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
76
~ 1 in 4,509,926 Americans
Peak year
1993
13 babies that year
Average age
36
years old
1999 SSA rank
#11,023
Tracked since 1976
Popularity
Markeesha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Markeesha from the 1970s through to the 1990s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 48 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
Markeesha 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 Markeesha 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 Markeesha
The name Markeesha has its origins in the African American community, where it emerged as a unique and culturally significant name in the late 20th century. It is believed to be a combination of the traditional names Mark and Keisha, both of which have their own distinct roots.
Mark is a name with Latin origins, derived from the Roman name Marcus, which itself is related to the Roman god of war, Mars. The name Marcus was widely used in ancient Rome and has been popular across various cultures and time periods. Keisha, on the other hand, is a variant of the name Keisha, which has its roots in the Swahili language spoken in East Africa. It is believed to mean "favorite one" or "prosperous one."
While the name Markeesha does not have a long historical lineage, it reflects the creative and unique naming practices that emerged within the African American community, particularly in the latter half of the 20th century. During this time, there was a growing interest in embracing and celebrating cultural identity, which often manifested in the creation of new and distinctive names.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Markeesha dates back to the 1970s, although its usage was relatively rare until the late 1980s and early 1990s. As the name gained popularity, it began to appear in various contexts, including literature, media, and pop culture.
While there are no widely recognized historical figures bearing the name Markeesha, it has been embraced by individuals from various walks of life. Some notable individuals with this name include Markeesha Peavy, an American soccer player who represented the United States at the youth international level; Markeesha Lampkins, a former professional basketball player in the WNBA; and Markeesha Sledge, an American gospel singer and songwriter.
Additionally, there have been several public figures and personalities with the name Markeesha, such as Markeesha Farmer, an American singer and songwriter, and Markeesha Lett, a former contestant on the reality TV show "America's Next Top Model."
The name Markeesha reflects the rich cultural diversity and creativity within the African American community, and its increasing presence serves as a testament to the evolving landscape of naming practices in modern society.
People
Markeesha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Markeesha as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Markeesha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Markeesha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 76 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Markeesha 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 4,509,926 US residents.
Is Markeesha a common name?
We classify Markeesha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 60.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 80 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Markeesha most popular?
The single biggest year for Markeesha was 1993, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Markeesha is about 36 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 Markeesha in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Markeesha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Markeesha 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 Markeesha still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Markeesha 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 Markeesha 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 are called Markeesha?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the name Markeesha at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.