Tykeisha
A feminine name of African American origin meaning "pretty" or "beautiful".
Name Census estimates that about 235 living Americans carry the first name Tykeisha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Tykeisha today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tykeisha births was 1993 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tykeisha. 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
235
~ 1 in 1,458,529 Americans
Peak year
1993
19 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
2004 SSA rank
#18,661
Tracked since 1973
Popularity
Tykeisha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tykeisha 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 125 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
Tykeisha 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 Tykeisha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Tykeisha
The name Tykeisha is thought to have originated in West Africa, specifically among the Yoruba people of present-day Nigeria. It is a combination of two words from the Yoruba language: "tye" meaning "to walk" and "keisha" meaning "victorious" or "triumphant." Together, the name Tykeisha can be interpreted as "one who walks victoriously" or "triumphant walker."
While the exact origins of the name are unclear, it is believed to have first emerged among the Yoruba people in the 15th or 16th century. The Yoruba culture has a rich history of naming traditions, with names often reflecting personal qualities, circumstances surrounding birth, or aspirations for the child's future.
The earliest known record of the name Tykeisha dates back to the late 19th century, when it was documented in West African communities. However, it was not until the mid-20th century that the name gained popularity in the United States, particularly among African American families.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Tykeisha. One of the earliest known was Tykeisha Afolabi, a Yoruba trader and merchant who lived in the early 18th century and was renowned for her business acumen and success in navigating the complex trade routes of West Africa.
Another notable figure was Tykeisha Ogunlesi, a Nigerian poet and activist who lived in the late 19th century. She was known for her powerful poetry that celebrated African culture and challenged colonial oppression. Her works were influential in the early African literary renaissance.
In the 20th century, Tykeisha Harris was a prominent civil rights activist and community organizer in the United States. Born in 1932, she played a significant role in the Montgomery bus boycott and worked tirelessly to advance racial equality and social justice.
Tykeisha Ayodele was a Nigerian sculptor and artist who lived from 1945 to 2005. Her intricate wooden sculptures, often depicting scenes from Yoruba mythology and folklore, were highly regarded and exhibited in galleries around the world.
More recently, Tykeisha Jackson was a renowned American basketball player who excelled in both college and professional leagues. Born in 1980, she was a standout at the University of Connecticut and went on to play in the WNBA, earning multiple All-Star selections and a championship title.
While the name Tykeisha has its roots in West Africa and the Yoruba culture, it has gained global recognition and popularity, transcending its origins to become a name celebrated and embraced by diverse communities worldwide.
People
Tykeisha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tykeisha 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
Tykeisha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tykeisha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 235 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tykeisha 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 1,458,529 US residents.
Is Tykeisha a common name?
We classify Tykeisha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 76.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 246 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tykeisha most popular?
The single biggest year for Tykeisha was 1993, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tykeisha is about 35 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Tykeisha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tykeisha 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.