Tyiesha
An African American feminine name of uncertain origins, possibly a fusion variant.
Name Census estimates that about 668 living Americans carry the first name Tyiesha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Tyiesha today is around 36 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tyiesha births was 1991 (64 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tyiesha. 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
668
~ 1 in 513,105 Americans
Peak year
1991
64 babies that year
Average age
36
years old
2006 SSA rank
#17,014
Tracked since 1974
Popularity
Tyiesha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tyiesha 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 344 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
Tyiesha 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 Tyiesha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Tyieshas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 7 states and territories. New York, Illinois, California recorded the most babies named Tyiesha, while Texas, Maryland, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 12 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Tyiesha
The name Tyiesha has its origins in African American culture, emerging in the late 20th century as a distinct and unique name. It is a combination of syllables from various African and African American names, reflecting the creative practice of coining new names within the community.
The first part of the name, "Ty," is likely derived from the West African name "Tiye," which means "mother" or "governess" in ancient Egyptian. The second part, "esha," may have roots in the Swahili language, where "isha" means "to celebrate" or "to honor." Thus, the name Tyiesha could be interpreted as a celebration or honoring of motherhood or female authority.
While there are no direct historical references to the name Tyiesha in ancient texts or religious scriptures, its components and the tradition of creating new names within the African American community have deep cultural significance. The earliest recorded examples of the name date back to the late 1960s and early 1970s, as it gained popularity among African American families seeking to express their cultural identity and heritage through unique names.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Tyiesha was Tyiesha Burwell, an American track and field athlete who competed in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. Another prominent figure was Tyiesha Anderson, an American basketball player who played professionally in the WNBA and overseas from 2004 to 2015.
Tyiesha Morgan, an American singer and songwriter, gained recognition for her work in the early 2000s, contributing to various film and television soundtracks. Tyiesha Cheatham, an American actress, has appeared in several television shows and films since the late 1990s.
Tyiesha White, an American author and motivational speaker, has published several books on personal growth and empowerment, inspiring readers with her life experiences and insights.
The name Tyiesha continues to be a popular choice within the African American community, representing a blend of cultural influences and a celebration of unique identity. It serves as a testament to the rich tapestry of African American naming traditions and the creative expression of heritage through naming practices.
People
Tyiesha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tyiesha 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
Tyiesha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tyiesha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 668 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tyiesha 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 513,105 US residents.
Is Tyiesha a common name?
We classify Tyiesha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 699 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tyiesha most popular?
The single biggest year for Tyiesha was 1991, when 64 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tyiesha is about 36 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Tyiesha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tyiesha 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.