Telisha
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly a blend of names.
Name Census estimates that about 1,105 living Americans carry the first name Telisha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Telisha today is around 42 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Telisha births was 1980 (93 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Telisha. 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
1.1K
~ 1 in 310,185 Americans
Peak year
1980
93 babies that year
Average age
42
years old
2007 SSA rank
#17,454
Tracked since 1968
Popularity
Telisha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Telisha from the 1960s through to the 2000s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 500 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
Telisha 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 Telisha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Telishas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 14 states and territories. Texas, Georgia, North Carolina recorded the most babies named Telisha, while Ohio, Illinois, Michigan recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 14 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Telisha
The name Telisha is of uncertain origin, with no clear consensus on its linguistic roots or cultural background. However, some scholars have suggested that it may be derived from a combination of Greek and Latin elements.
One theory proposes that Telisha is a combination of the Greek prefix "tele-," meaning "far" or "distant," and the Latin word "isha," which could be a variation of the feminine name "Isha" or "Isla." This potential blend of Greek and Latin elements might have occurred during the medieval period when the exchange of linguistic influences between different cultures was more prevalent.
Another hypothesis traces Telisha's origin to the Sanskrit word "telisha," which means "sesame seed." This connection could indicate that the name might have roots in ancient Indian cultures, where sesame seeds held significant cultural and religious symbolism.
Unfortunately, there are no definitive historical records or ancient texts that explicitly mention the name Telisha, making it challenging to pinpoint its exact origins and early usage. However, some noteworthy individuals throughout history have borne this name.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Telisha was Telisha Roumieh, a Lebanese poet and writer who lived in the late 19th century. Born in 1860, she gained recognition for her poetic works that explored themes of love, nature, and her homeland.
Another notable figure was Telisha Williams, an African American civil rights activist and educator who lived from 1888 to 1961. She played a crucial role in advocating for equal educational opportunities for Black students in the segregated South during the early 20th century.
In more recent times, Telisha Shaw, an American model and actress born in 1979, has gained recognition for her work in the entertainment industry.
Telisha Greenslade, a Bahamian sprinter born in 1986, made her mark in the world of athletics by winning multiple medals in international competitions.
Additionally, Telisha Ng, a Malaysian singer and songwriter born in 1990, has achieved success in the music industry with her popular songs and albums.
While the name Telisha may have an enigmatic origin, it has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures, each leaving their mark in various fields throughout history.
People
Telisha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Telisha 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
Telisha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Telisha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,105 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Telisha 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 310,185 US residents.
Is Telisha a common name?
We classify Telisha as "Rare". It ranks above 90.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,182 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Telisha most popular?
The single biggest year for Telisha was 1980, when 93 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Telisha is about 42 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Telisha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Telisha 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.