Tonesha
A feminine name of Native American origin meaning "pretty flower".
Name Census estimates that about 341 living Americans carry the first name Tonesha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Tonesha today is around 37 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tonesha births was 1991 (23 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tonesha. 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
341
~ 1 in 1,005,145 Americans
Peak year
1991
23 babies that year
Average age
37
years old
2005 SSA rank
#16,304
Tracked since 1969
Popularity
Tonesha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tonesha from the 1960s through to the 2000s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 158 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Tonesha 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 Tonesha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Toneshas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Tonesha
The name Tonesha is a relatively modern name that originated in the United States during the 20th century. It is believed to be a blend of the names Toni and Keisha, or possibly a variation of the name Tanisha.
While the exact origin and meaning of Tonesha are uncertain, some sources suggest that it may have roots in African or African-American culture. The name Toni is often associated with the Italian name Antonia, which means "priceless" or "highly praised." Keisha, on the other hand, is a variation of the Arabic name Qaysa, which means "brave" or "courageous."
There are no known historical references to the name Tonesha in ancient texts, religious scriptures, or historical records. This is likely due to the relatively modern nature of the name.
The earliest recorded examples of the name Tonesha are from the latter half of the 20th century. Some notable individuals who bore the name Tonesha include:
1. Tonesha Welch, an American basketball player who played in the WNBA from 2003 to 2006.
2. Tonesha Melendez, an American actress and model known for her roles in films and television shows in the early 2000s.
3. Tonesha Mack, an American track and field athlete who competed in sprinting events in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
4. Tonesha Harris, an American singer and songwriter who released her debut album in 2005.
5. Tonesha Willingham, an American entrepreneur and motivational speaker who founded a successful business coaching company in the early 2010s.
It's important to note that the name Tonesha gained popularity in the United States during the latter half of the 20th century, particularly among African-American communities. However, its usage and popularity may have varied across different regions and cultural backgrounds.
People
Tonesha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tonesha 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
Tonesha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tonesha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 341 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tonesha 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 1,005,145 US residents.
Is Tonesha a common name?
We classify Tonesha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 80.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 359 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tonesha most popular?
The single biggest year for Tonesha was 1991, when 23 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tonesha is about 37 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Tonesha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tonesha 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.