Takisha
African American name of unknown origin, possibly a blend of other names.
Name Census estimates that about 1,906 living Americans carry the first name Takisha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Takisha today is around 45 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Takisha births was 1977 (200 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Takisha. 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
1.9K
~ 1 in 179,829 Americans
Peak year
1977
200 babies that year
Average age
45
years old
2004 SSA rank
#18,511
Tracked since 1970
Popularity
Takisha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Takisha from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 1,082 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Takisha 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 Takisha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Takishas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 24 states and territories. New York, Illinois, North Carolina recorded the most babies named Takisha, while Massachusetts, Kentucky, District of Columbia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 51 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Takisha
The name Takisha is believed to have originated from the African language of Kiswahili, which is spoken primarily in East Africa. It is a feminine name that gained popularity in the late 20th century, particularly among African American communities in the United States.
The name Takisha is thought to be a combination of two Kiswahili words, "taka" meaning "to want" or "to desire," and "isha" meaning "life" or "living." Therefore, the name Takisha can be interpreted as "she who desires life" or "she who desires to live."
While the exact origins of the name are not well-documented, some scholars suggest that it may have been influenced by the Kiswahili name "Takisha," which was derived from the Arabic name "Taqiya," meaning "piety" or "God-fearing."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Takisha can be found in the 1960s and 1970s, when it started gaining popularity among African American families in the United States. This was during a period when there was a resurgence of interest in African culture and heritage, and many parents were choosing names with African roots for their children.
Throughout history, there have been a few notable individuals who bore the name Takisha. One example is Takisha Monique White, an American actress and model born in 1986, who is known for her roles in television series such as "Reed Between the Lines" and "The Game."
Another notable Takisha is Takisha Monet Ruffin, an American singer and songwriter born in 1978, who is best known for her work in the R&B and gospel music genres.
Takisha Celestine Munday, born in 1983, is an American professional basketball player who played in the WNBA for teams such as the Minnesota Lynx and the Indiana Fever.
Takisha Townsend, born in 1974, is an American author and motivational speaker who has written several books on personal development and self-empowerment.
Lastly, Takisha Rogas-Browne, born in 1977, is a former track and field athlete from St. Kitts and Nevis who specialized in the 100 and 200-meter sprints. She represented her country at multiple international competitions, including the Olympic Games.
People
Takisha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Takisha as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Takisha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Takisha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,906 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Takisha 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 179,829 US residents.
Is Takisha a common name?
We classify Takisha as "Rare". It ranks above 93.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,058 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Takisha most popular?
The single biggest year for Takisha was 1977, when 200 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Takisha is about 45 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Takisha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Takisha 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.