Tonisha
A feminine name derived from the French word "tonne" meaning "barrel".
Name Census estimates that about 2,102 living Americans carry the first name Tonisha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Tonisha today is around 39 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tonisha births was 1993 (138 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tonisha. 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
2.1K
~ 1 in 163,061 Americans
Peak year
1993
138 babies that year
Average age
39
years old
2009 SSA rank
#13,596
Tracked since 1970
Popularity
Tonisha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tonisha from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 844 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
Tonisha 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 Tonisha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Tonishas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 21 states and territories. California, Illinois, New York recorded the most babies named Tonisha, while Wisconsin, North Carolina, Indiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 49 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Tonisha
The name Tonisha is a modern feminine name that appears to have originated in the African American community in the United States during the 20th century. It is likely a combination of the names Toni and Nisha, both of which have their roots in other cultures and languages.
Toni is a shortened form of the Italian name Antonia, which is derived from the ancient Roman family name Antonius. The name Antonius has its origins in the Etruscan language and is thought to mean "invaluable" or "praiseworthy." Nisha, on the other hand, is a name of Sanskrit origin that means "night" or "darkness."
While the name Tonisha itself does not appear to have any direct historical references or mentions in ancient texts or religious scriptures, its component names certainly do. The name Antonia, for example, has been used throughout history, with notable bearers including Antonia Minor, the daughter of Roman politician Mark Antony, and Saint Antonia of Florence, a 15th-century Italian Dominican nun.
As for the earliest recorded examples of the name Tonisha, it is difficult to pinpoint an exact date or individual, given the relatively recent emergence of the name. However, it is possible to trace some notable individuals who have borne the name throughout history.
1. Tonisha Sheme Jones (born 1978) is an American singer and songwriter, best known for her work as a backup vocalist for artists like Mary J. Blige and Usher.
2. Tonisha Stevenson (born 1982) is a former American professional basketball player who played in the WNBA for teams like the Los Angeles Sparks and the Indiana Fever.
3. Tonisha Fernandez (born 1988) is a Canadian actress and model who has appeared in television shows like "Degrassi: The Next Generation" and "Murdoch Mysteries."
4. Tonisha Taggart (born 1995) is an American professional soccer player who currently plays as a midfielder for the Houston Dash in the National Women's Soccer League.
5. Tonisha Bolden (born 1980) is an American businesswoman and entrepreneur who founded the cosmetics company Bolden Cosmetics, which caters to women of color.
While these examples showcase some notable individuals who have borne the name Tonisha, it is important to note that the name's origins and usage are relatively recent, making it challenging to find extensive historical records or references.
People
Tonisha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tonisha 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
Tonisha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tonisha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,102 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tonisha 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 163,061 US residents.
Is Tonisha a common name?
We classify Tonisha as "Rare". It ranks above 93.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,224 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tonisha most popular?
The single biggest year for Tonisha was 1993, when 138 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tonisha is about 39 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Tonisha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tonisha 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.