Taniesha
A feminine name of African American origin, possibly derived from Tanesha.
Name Census estimates that about 735 living Americans carry the first name Taniesha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Taniesha today is around 38 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Taniesha births was 1991 (51 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Taniesha. 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
735
~ 1 in 466,332 Americans
Peak year
1991
51 babies that year
Average age
38
years old
2004 SSA rank
#10,611
Tracked since 1971
Popularity
Taniesha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Taniesha 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 337 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
Taniesha 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 Taniesha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Tanieshas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 7 states and territories. California, New York, Pennsylvania recorded the most babies named Taniesha, while Ohio, Texas, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 17 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Taniesha
The name Taniesha is a modern invented name that appears to have originated in the United States in the 20th century. It likely derived from a combination of the French name Tania, a diminutive form of Tatiana, and the Hebrew name Aisha.
The earliest recorded use of the name Taniesha dates back to the 1960s, when it started gaining popularity among African American families. It is believed to have been created as a unique and distinctive name for baby girls, blending elements from different cultural backgrounds.
While the name does not have a direct connection to ancient texts or historical records, its components can be traced back to their respective origins. Tania is derived from the Roman name Tatiana, which is thought to have originated from the Greek word "tatus," meaning "orderly" or "regular."
The second part of the name, Aisha, is a feminine Arabic name meaning "life" or "living." It has been a popular name in the Islamic world for centuries and can be found in various historical and religious texts.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Taniesha. One of the earliest was Taniesha Gorden, an American actress and model born in 1974, known for her roles in films such as "The Brothers" and "Beauty Shop."
Another prominent figure was Taniesha Diacon, an American track and field athlete who competed in the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games, specializing in the long jump and triple jump events.
Taniesha Cottrell, born in 1981, is an American basketball player who played professionally in the WNBA for teams like the Los Angeles Sparks and the Indiana Fever.
Taniesha Kenney, born in 1986, is an American professional wrestler better known by her ring name Taniesha Coate, who has competed in various independent promotions.
Taniesha Johnson, born in 1990, is an American actress and singer known for her roles in the television series "The Game" and "Survivor's Remorse."
Overall, the name Taniesha has gained popularity in recent decades, particularly among African American communities, and has been borne by a variety of individuals in fields such as entertainment, sports, and the arts.
People
Taniesha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Taniesha 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
Taniesha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Taniesha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 735 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Taniesha 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 466,332 US residents.
Is Taniesha a common name?
We classify Taniesha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 775 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Taniesha most popular?
The single biggest year for Taniesha was 1991, when 51 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Taniesha is about 38 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Taniesha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Taniesha 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.