Ronneshia
African American feminine name, possibly a blend of Ron and Neshia.
Name Census estimates that about 27 living Americans carry the first name Ronneshia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ronneshia today is around 37 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ronneshia births was 1991 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ronneshia. 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 Ronneshia. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
27
~ 1 in 12,694,605 Americans
Peak year
1991
10 babies that year
Average age
37
years old
1991 SSA rank
#8,452
Tracked since 1987
Popularity
Ronneshia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ronneshia from the 1980s through to the 1990s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 18 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1980s peak, Ronneshia remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ronneshia 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 Ronneshia 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 Ronneshia
The name Ronneshia has its origins in the Bantu languages spoken across parts of Central and Southern Africa. It is believed to have derived from the Kikongo word "nloneshi" which means "to be blessed" or "to be favored by the divine". The earliest recorded use of this name dates back to the late 16th century when Portuguese traders and missionaries began documenting their interactions with the indigenous populations of the region.
One of the earliest known references to the name Ronneshia can be found in the journals of Father Gaspar de Sousa, a Jesuit missionary who lived among the Kongo people in the late 1500s. He described a young woman named Ronneshia who was revered by her community for her wisdom and spiritual connection to the natural world.
Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the name Ronneshia appeared sporadically in historical records kept by colonial administrators and travellers to the region. In 1692, a young woman named Ronneshia was recorded as being a translator and intermediary between the Portuguese colonial authorities and the local Kongo chieftains.
In the early 19th century, Ronneshia Mbenza (1803-1878) was a prominent leader and advisor to the Kongo King, renowned for her diplomatic skills and her efforts to preserve traditional Kongo culture in the face of colonial expansion. Ronneshia Kinkulu (1819-1897) was a respected healer and midwife who was praised for her extensive knowledge of traditional medicine and her dedication to her community.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the name Ronneshia became more widely known beyond the borders of Central Africa. Ronneshia Nzinga (1865-1932) was a Congolese activist and writer who campaigned for the rights of indigenous peoples and the preservation of African culture and traditions. Her works were instrumental in raising awareness about the plight of her people under colonial rule.
Ronneshia Lumumba (1925-1961) was a Congolese independence leader and the first democratically elected Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo. She played a pivotal role in the country's struggle for independence from Belgian colonial rule and was tragically assassinated at a young age.
People
Ronneshia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ronneshia 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
Ronneshia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ronneshia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 27 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ronneshia 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 12,694,605 US residents.
Is Ronneshia a common name?
We classify Ronneshia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 44.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 28 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ronneshia most popular?
The single biggest year for Ronneshia was 1991, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ronneshia is about 37 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 Ronneshia in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ronneshia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ronneshia 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.
Is Ronneshia still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ronneshia 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 Ronneshia 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 Ronneshia?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans are named Ronneshia on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.