Reshonda
A feminine name, possibly a variation of Rhonda, of uncertain origin and meaning.
Name Census estimates that about 277 living Americans carry the first name Reshonda. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Reshonda today is around 45 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Reshonda births was 1982 (25 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Reshonda. 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
277
~ 1 in 1,237,380 Americans
Peak year
1982
25 babies that year
Average age
45
years old
1996 SSA rank
#15,308
Tracked since 1969
Popularity
Reshonda: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Reshonda from the 1960s through to the 1990s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 133 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
Reshonda 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 Reshonda during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Reshondas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. Louisiana, Texas, Alabama recorded the most babies named Reshonda, while Arkansas, Alabama, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 7 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Reshonda
The name Reshonda is a relatively modern invention, believed to have originated in the United States during the late 20th century. It is a combination of the prefix "Re" and the name "Shonda", which itself is a variant spelling of the Hebrew name "Shonda", meaning "thorny bush" or "rose bush".
While the exact origin of Reshonda is unclear, it is thought to have been created as a unique and distinctive name, drawing inspiration from various cultural and linguistic roots. The prefix "Re" could be derived from Latin words like "re" meaning "again" or "back", or it could be a nod to the common African American naming tradition of using the prefix "Re" to denote renewal or rebirth.
There are no known historical references or ancient texts that mention the name Reshonda directly. However, its components, such as the Hebrew root "Shonda" and the Latin prefix "Re", have been present in various cultures and languages for centuries.
As for notable individuals bearing the name Reshonda, here are a few examples:
1. Reshonda Tate (born 1978), an American actress and model known for her roles in films like "Crossover" and "The Longshots".
2. Reshonda Billingsley (born 1969), an American author best known for her urban fiction novels, including "My Brother's Keeper" and "The Pastors' Wives".
3. Reshonda Strick (born 1978), an American basketball player who played professionally in the WNBA for teams like the Los Angeles Sparks and the Houston Comets.
4. Reshonda Tate Rodgers (born 1975), an American gospel singer and songwriter, known for her powerful vocal performances and inspirational music.
5. Reshonda Bingham (born 1981), an American track and field athlete who specialized in the 100 meters hurdles and competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
While the name Reshonda may not have a long historical lineage, its unique combination of linguistic and cultural elements has made it a distinctive and recognizable name in modern times, particularly within the African American community.
People
Reshonda + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Reshonda 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
Reshonda: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Reshonda?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 277 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Reshonda 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 1,237,380 US residents.
Is Reshonda a common name?
We classify Reshonda as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 299 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Reshonda most popular?
The single biggest year for Reshonda was 1982, when 25 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Reshonda is about 45 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Reshonda a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Reshonda 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.