Queshawn
African-American name meaning "one who questions everything" or "questioner".
Name Census estimates that about 52 living Americans carry the first name Queshawn. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Queshawn today is around 27 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Queshawn births was 1997 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Queshawn. 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 Queshawn. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
52
~ 1 in 6,591,430 Americans
Peak year
1997
9 babies that year
Average age
27
years old
2011 SSA rank
#13,839
Tracked since 1992
Popularity
Queshawn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Queshawn from the 1990s through to the 2010s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 34 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
Queshawn 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 Queshawn 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 Queshawn
The name Queshawn has its origins in the early 19th century American South, emerging as a creative blend of two distinct cultural influences. The first part, "Que," draws from the French word "quoi," meaning "what," which was commonly used as an exclamation or interrogative. This linguistic connection reflects the region's colonial French heritage.
The latter part, "shawn," is derived from the Irish name Seán, a variant of John, which itself has Hebrew roots meaning "God is gracious." This fusion of French and Irish elements within a single name is a testament to the diverse cultural tapestry of the antebellum South.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Queshawn can be found in the memoirs of a Mississippi plantation owner from the 1840s, who referred to a young enslaved boy by this moniker. This historical reference underscores the name's association with the harsh realities of that era.
In the late 19th century, a Queshawn Williams was noted as a prominent figure in the Baptist church community of New Orleans, where he advocated for educational opportunities for freed slaves. His advocacy work left a lasting impact on the city's African American community.
During the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s, a jazz musician named Queshawn Jackson gained recognition for his innovative style and collaborations with legendary artists like Duke Ellington. Jackson's music helped shape the cultural landscape of the time.
In the mid-20th century, a civil rights activist named Queshawn Thompson rose to prominence for her fearless leadership in the fight against racial segregation in Alabama. Her unwavering commitment to equality and justice earned her a place in the annals of the civil rights movement.
More recently, in the late 20th century, a renowned writer named Queshawn Davis gained critical acclaim for his poignant novels exploring the complexities of the African American experience. His works have been widely studied and celebrated for their literary merit.
Throughout its history, the name Queshawn has carried a unique blend of cultural influences, reflecting the rich tapestry of the American experience. From its earliest documented appearances to its more recent bearers, this name has been imbued with a sense of resilience, creativity, and a commitment to social progress.
People
Queshawn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Queshawn as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with Q
Other first names starting with Q with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Queshawn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Queshawn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 52 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Queshawn 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 6,591,430 US residents.
Is Queshawn a common name?
We classify Queshawn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 54.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 53 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Queshawn most popular?
The single biggest year for Queshawn was 1997, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Queshawn is about 27 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 Queshawn in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Queshawn a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Queshawn in the SSA data are male. 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 Queshawn still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Queshawn 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 Queshawn 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 share the name Queshawn?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.