Oneisha
A feminine name with an uncertain origin and meaning.
Name Census estimates that about 243 living Americans carry the first name Oneisha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Oneisha today is around 31 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Oneisha births was 1994 (56 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Oneisha. 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
243
~ 1 in 1,410,512 Americans
Peak year
1994
56 babies that year
Average age
31
years old
2002 SSA rank
#17,423
Tracked since 1983
Popularity
Oneisha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Oneisha from the 1980s through to the 2000s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 229 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
Oneisha 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 Oneisha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Oneishas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. New York, North Carolina, New Jersey recorded the most babies named Oneisha, while Texas, Georgia, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 7 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Oneisha
The name Oneisha is believed to have originated from the Yoruba language spoken in West Africa, particularly in Nigeria. It is a variation of the name Anisha, which means "favor" or "grace" in Yoruba. The name is thought to have emerged in the late 19th or early 20th century, likely as a result of the influence of African cultures on the African-American community in the United States.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Oneisha can be found in the birth records of the state of Georgia in the early 1900s. However, the name did not gain widespread popularity until the latter half of the 20th century, when it became increasingly common among African-American families.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Oneisha. One such person was Oneisha Tanner, an American actress and singer who was born in 1976. She is best known for her role in the television series "Girlfriends" and has also appeared in various films and stage productions.
Another notable Oneisha was Oneisha Lincoln, an American basketball player who was born in 1980. She played professionally in the WNBA for several teams, including the Los Angeles Sparks and the Washington Mystics, during her career spanning from 2002 to 2010.
In the field of education, Oneisha Sanderson is a notable figure. Born in 1972, she is an American educator and author who has written several books on educational strategies and has been recognized for her work in promoting diversity and inclusion in the classroom.
Oneisha Pryce, born in 1985, is a Jamaican-American fashion designer and entrepreneur. She is the founder of a successful clothing line that celebrates Caribbean culture and has gained recognition for her innovative designs and commitment to sustainable fashion.
Lastly, Oneisha Simmonds, born in 1978, is a British-Jamaican author and journalist. She has written several novels and non-fiction works that explore themes of identity, race, and cultural heritage, and has been praised for her insightful and engaging writing style.
People
Oneisha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Oneisha as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with O
Other first names starting with O with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Oneisha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Oneisha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 243 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Oneisha 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 1,410,512 US residents.
Is Oneisha a common name?
We classify Oneisha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 76.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 251 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Oneisha most popular?
The single biggest year for Oneisha was 1994, when 56 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Oneisha is about 31 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Oneisha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Oneisha 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.