Rashanda
An inventive feminine name blending the Persian "Rasha" meaning "morning star" and "Shanda" meaning "splendid".
Name Census estimates that about 651 living Americans carry the first name Rashanda. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Rashanda today is around 42 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rashanda births was 1982 (44 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rashanda. 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
651
~ 1 in 526,504 Americans
Peak year
1982
44 babies that year
Average age
42
years old
2001 SSA rank
#13,161
Tracked since 1971
Popularity
Rashanda: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rashanda from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 324 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rashanda 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 Rashanda during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Rashandas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 7 states and territories. North Carolina, California, Florida recorded the most babies named Rashanda, while Virginia, Pennsylvania, Louisiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 6 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Rashanda
The name Rashanda has its origins in West Africa, specifically among the Yoruba people of present-day Nigeria and Benin. It is derived from the Yoruba words "Ara" meaning "body" and "Shanda" meaning "to walk." The name carries the meaning of "one who walks with grace and poise."
Historically, the name Rashanda was used as a praise name or honorific title bestowed upon individuals who exhibited exceptional grace, dignity, and elegance in their movements and demeanor. It was often given to young women who were considered exemplars of Yoruba beauty and cultural ideals.
In the 17th century, during the transatlantic slave trade, many Yoruba people were forcibly brought to the Americas, carrying their linguistic and cultural traditions with them. The name Rashanda likely made its way to the Caribbean and North America through these tragic circumstances, where it may have been adopted and adapted by various communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rashanda can be found in the writings of the African-American author and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston, who documented the cultural practices and oral traditions of African-American communities in the early 20th century. Her works, such as "Their Eyes Were Watching God" (1937), may have helped to preserve and popularize the name.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Rashanda, including Rashanda Nkosi (born 1976), a South African actress and television presenter known for her roles in various soap operas and sitcoms. Rashanda Chisolm (born 1988) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the WNBA for the Washington Mystics and the Chicago Sky.
Another notable figure is Rashanda Ross (born 1992), an American sprinter and hurdler who competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Rashanda Dion (born 1979) is an American singer-songwriter and actress, best known for her work in the neo-soul and R&B genres.
Rashanda Norwood (born 1981) is an American entrepreneur and business executive, who co-founded the successful hair care brand PATTERN alongside her friend and business partner, actress Tracee Ellis Ross.
People
Rashanda + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rashanda as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Rashanda: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rashanda?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 651 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rashanda 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 526,504 US residents.
Is Rashanda a common name?
We classify Rashanda as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 695 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rashanda most popular?
The single biggest year for Rashanda was 1982, when 44 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rashanda is about 42 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rashanda a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rashanda 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.