Tasheka
A feminine name of African American origin meaning "she is respected".
Name Census estimates that about 382 living Americans carry the first name Tasheka. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Tasheka today is around 42 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tasheka births was 1984 (31 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tasheka. 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
382
~ 1 in 897,263 Americans
Peak year
1984
31 babies that year
Average age
42
years old
2001 SSA rank
#15,161
Tracked since 1972
Census
Tasheka in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 391 people with the first name Tasheka, which placed it at #24,576 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#24,576
National first-name rank
People counted
391
391 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
93.4% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tasheka
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Tasheka is Black at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (1.8%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Tasheka described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Tasheka at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American93.4% · 365
- Two or more races4.3% · 17
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 7
- White0.5% · 2
Popularity
Tasheka: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tasheka 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 186 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
Tasheka 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 Tasheka during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Tashekas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. Louisiana, Florida, North Carolina recorded the most babies named Tasheka, while North Carolina, Florida, Louisiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 5 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Tasheka
The name Tasheka is believed to have its origins in the Yoruba language spoken by the Yoruba people of West Africa, primarily in present-day Nigeria. The name is thought to be a combination of the Yoruba words "Ta," meaning "sweet," and "Sheka," meaning "pleasing" or "gentle."
Historically, the Yoruba people have a rich cultural heritage dating back centuries, with a strong emphasis on oral traditions and storytelling. While the exact origin of the name Tasheka is uncertain, it is possible that it was derived from a mythical or legendary figure in Yoruba folklore or oral traditions.
There are no known ancient texts or religious scriptures that explicitly mention the name Tasheka. However, the Yoruba people have a deep-rooted spiritual belief system that incorporates elements of ancestor veneration, nature worship, and the concept of a Supreme Being known as "Olodumare."
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Tasheka can be found in the records of the Atlantic slave trade, where it was likely brought to the Americas by enslaved Yoruba people from West Africa. However, specific details about individuals bearing the name during this period are scarce.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the name Tasheka, although their impact and significance may vary. Here are five examples:
1. Tasheka Mays (born in the late 20th century) is an American author and poet known for her works exploring themes of identity, culture, and personal growth.
2. Tasheka Terrelonge (born in the late 20th century) is a Jamaican-American Olympic track and field athlete who competed in the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics.
3. Tasheka Parkinson (born in the late 20th century) is a British actress and television personality known for her roles in various British soap operas and dramas.
4. Tasheka Boykin (born in the late 20th century) is an American entrepreneur and business owner, recognized for her work in promoting financial literacy and empowerment among women and marginalized communities.
5. Tasheka Johnson (born in the late 20th century) is an American artist and illustrator whose work has been featured in various exhibitions and publications, often exploring themes of identity and cultural representation.
While the name Tasheka may not be as widely recognized as some other names, it carries a rich cultural heritage and has been borne by individuals who have made contributions in various fields throughout history.
People
Tasheka + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tasheka 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
Tasheka: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tasheka?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 382 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tasheka 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 897,263 US residents.
Is Tasheka a common name?
We classify Tasheka as "Very Rare". It ranks above 81.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 408 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tasheka most popular?
The single biggest year for Tasheka was 1984, when 31 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tasheka is about 42 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Tasheka in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 391 people with the name Tasheka, or 0.13 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #24,576 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Tasheka in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Tasheka?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Tasheka appears almost entirely female. Of the 395 people counted with this name, 100.0% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Tasheka?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Tasheka is Black at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (1.8%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Tasheka most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Tasheka in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.4% (365 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Tasheka in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Tasheka a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tasheka 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 Tasheka still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Tasheka 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 Tasheka 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.
How common is the name Tasheka?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans are named Tasheka on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.