Markeshia
A feminine name of unknown origin and meaning.
Name Census estimates that about 390 living Americans carry the first name Markeshia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Markeshia today is around 36 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Markeshia births was 1992 (40 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Markeshia. 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
390
~ 1 in 878,857 Americans
Peak year
1992
40 babies that year
Average age
36
years old
2006 SSA rank
#16,410
Tracked since 1979
Popularity
Markeshia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Markeshia from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 201 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
Markeshia 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 Markeshia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Markeshias live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. Texas, Georgia, Louisiana recorded the most babies named Markeshia, while Florida, Louisiana, Georgia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 14 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Markeshia
The name Markeshia appears to be a relatively modern invention, likely emerging in the late 20th century. Its origins are somewhat unclear, but it seems to be a combination of the more traditional names Mark and Keisha. Mark is derived from the Latin name Marcus, which itself has roots in the Roman name Martius, meaning "of Mars" – the Roman god of war. Keisha, on the other hand, is a variant of the African name Keisha or Kaisha, which means "beloved" or "precious" in the Yoruba language of West Africa.
While the name Markeshia itself does not appear to have any direct historical references or appearances in ancient texts or religious scriptures, its component names do have some notable historical figures associated with them. For instance, Mark the Evangelist, one of the four gospel writers in the New Testament, was a prominent early Christian figure in the 1st century AD. Keisha Knight Pulliam, an American actress best known for her role as Rudy Huxtable on the popular sitcom The Cosby Show, was born in 1979.
As a relatively modern name, there are few well-known historical figures with the name Markeshia. However, here are five individuals who have borne this name:
1. Markeshia Ricks, an American basketball player who played for the University of South Carolina in the early 2000s.
2. Markeshia Grant, an American singer and songwriter who has released several albums in the Christian music genre.
3. Markeshia Horne, an American author and motivational speaker who has written books on personal growth and empowerment.
4. Markeshia Garner, an American entrepreneur and fashion designer who founded her own clothing line in the late 2010s.
5. Markeshia Williams, an American activist and community organizer who has worked on issues related to social justice and civil rights.
It is worth noting that while the name Markeshia has gained some popularity in recent decades, particularly in certain regions of the United States, it is still a relatively uncommon name globally. As such, its historical significance and cultural impact are limited compared to more traditional or widely used names.
People
Markeshia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Markeshia 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
Markeshia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Markeshia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 390 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Markeshia 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 878,857 US residents.
Is Markeshia a common name?
We classify Markeshia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 408 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Markeshia most popular?
The single biggest year for Markeshia was 1992, when 40 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Markeshia is about 36 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Markeshia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Markeshia 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.