Temika
A feminine name of African origin meaning "she has arrived".
Name Census estimates that about 843 living Americans carry the first name Temika. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Temika today is around 46 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Temika births was 1978 (78 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Temika. 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
843
~ 1 in 406,589 Americans
Peak year
1978
78 babies that year
Average age
46
years old
1995 SSA rank
#15,563
Tracked since 1968
Popularity
Temika: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Temika from the 1960s through to the 1990s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 427 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
Temika 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 Temika during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Temikas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 13 states and territories. Illinois, Georgia, Texas recorded the most babies named Temika, while Michigan, Indiana, Ohio recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 22 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Temika
The name Temika is of African origin, derived from the Swahili word "temka," which means "to be content" or "to be satisfied." This name gained popularity during the 20th century and is predominantly found in African American communities.
The earliest recorded use of the name Temika can be traced back to the late 19th century, but it remained relatively uncommon until the latter half of the 20th century. One of the earliest documented instances of this name is Temika Jackson, an African American educator and civil rights activist born in 1875 in Mississippi.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the name Temika became more widely adopted, coinciding with the rise of the Black Power movement and a renewed interest in African cultural heritage. During this period, parents sought to give their children names that reflected their African roots and conveyed positive meanings.
One notable figure named Temika is Temika Danielle Moore, an American professional basketball player born in 1980. Moore played in the WNBA for several teams, including the Houston Comets and the Minnesota Lynx, and was a member of the United States women's national basketball team that won gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Another individual with this name is Temika Rasheed, an American author and social activist born in 1972. Rasheed's works focus on issues related to race, gender, and social justice, and she has been recognized for her contributions to promoting diversity and inclusivity.
In the field of music, Temika Williams is a singer and songwriter from Detroit, Michigan. Williams has collaborated with various artists and has released several albums, showcasing her soulful vocals and songwriting abilities.
Temika Yvonne Shannon, born in 1984, is an American track and field athlete who specializes in the 400-meter hurdles. She has represented the United States in multiple international competitions, including the Olympic Games and the World Championships.
While the name Temika has its origins in African culture, it has transcended cultural boundaries and is now used globally, although it remains more prevalent in certain regions and communities.
People
Temika + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Temika 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
Temika: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Temika?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 843 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Temika 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 406,589 US residents.
Is Temika a common name?
We classify Temika as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 911 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Temika most popular?
The single biggest year for Temika was 1978, when 78 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Temika is about 46 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Temika a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Temika 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.