Teneshia
A feminine name with uncertain origins, potentially relating to nobility or tenacity.
Name Census estimates that about 523 living Americans carry the first name Teneshia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Teneshia today is around 42 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Teneshia births was 1983 (50 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Teneshia. 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
523
~ 1 in 655,362 Americans
Peak year
1983
50 babies that year
Average age
42
years old
1997 SSA rank
#13,577
Tracked since 1971
Census
Teneshia in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 463 people with the first name Teneshia, which placed it at #21,790 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
#21,790
National first-name rank
People counted
463
463 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.2
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
92.2% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Teneshia
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Teneshia is Black at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Teneshia 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 Teneshia at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American92.2% · 427
- Two or more races3.2% · 15
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 8
- White1.3% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 1
Popularity
Teneshia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Teneshia from the 1970s through to the 1990s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 276 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1980s peak, Teneshia remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Teneshia 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 Teneshia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Teneshias live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. Florida, Texas, Illinois recorded the most babies named Teneshia, while North Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 12 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Teneshia
The given name Teneshia is a relatively modern name that appears to have originated in the late 20th century. Its roots can be traced back to a combination of the African names Tenesa and Neshia. The name Tenesa is derived from the Swahili word "tena," which means "again," while Neshia has its origins in the Arabic name Nashia, meaning "joy" or "happiness."
The earliest recorded use of the name Teneshia can be found in various birth records and census data from the United States in the 1970s and 1980s. It gained popularity among African American communities, particularly in the southern states, as a unique and culturally significant name.
While there are no known historical references to the name Teneshia in ancient texts or religious scriptures, its components have rich cultural significance. The Swahili word "tena" represents the idea of renewal and continuity, while the Arabic name Nashia reflects the joy and happiness often associated with the birth of a child.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who have borne the name Teneshia. One of the earliest recorded instances is Teneshia Jackson (born in 1975), an American singer and songwriter best known for her work in the R&B and gospel genres. Another notable figure is Teneshia Haynes (born in 1978), a former professional basketball player who played in the WNBA for the Detroit Shock and the Los Angeles Sparks.
In the field of education, Teneshia Proctor (born in 1981) is a prominent figure, serving as the Chief Diversity Officer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Teneshia Thompson (born in 1985) is an entrepreneur and author, known for her work in the field of personal development and empowerment.
Lastly, Teneshia Burgess (born in 1990) is a talented actress and model who has appeared in various television shows and films, including the popular series "Queen Sugar" and "All American."
It is important to note that while these individuals have made significant contributions in their respective fields, the name Teneshia remains a relatively uncommon name, particularly outside of the African American community.
People
Teneshia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Teneshia 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
Teneshia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Teneshia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 523 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Teneshia 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 655,362 US residents.
Is Teneshia a common name?
We classify Teneshia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 558 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Teneshia most popular?
The single biggest year for Teneshia was 1983, when 50 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Teneshia 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 Teneshia in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 463 people with the name Teneshia, or 0.15 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #21,790 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 Teneshia 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 Teneshia?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Teneshia appears almost entirely female. Of the 458 people counted with this name, 99.6% 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 Teneshia?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Teneshia is Black at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Teneshia most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Teneshia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (427 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 Teneshia in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Teneshia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Teneshia 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 Teneshia still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Teneshia 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 Teneshia 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 many people share the name Teneshia?
You can see how many Americans are named Teneshia on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.