Wakisha
An invented name of unknown origin and meaning.
Name Census estimates that about 79 living Americans carry the first name Wakisha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Wakisha today is around 48 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Wakisha births was 1975 (17 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Wakisha. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Wakisha. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
79
~ 1 in 4,338,663 Americans
Peak year
1975
17 babies that year
Average age
48
years old
1984 SSA rank
#12,141
Tracked since 1974
Popularity
Wakisha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Wakisha from the 1970s through to the 1980s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 45 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Wakisha 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 Wakisha 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 Wakisha
The given name Wakisha is believed to have originated from the Anishinaabe language, spoken by various Indigenous peoples in the Great Lakes region of North America. The name is thought to be derived from the Anishinaabe word "wakesh," which means "bravery" or "courage."
The earliest recorded use of the name Wakisha can be traced back to the late 17th century, when it was mentioned in the journals of French missionaries and explorers who encountered Anishinaabe communities. It was likely given to children as a way to instill the values of strength and resilience.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the name Wakisha was occasionally recorded in historical documents and records related to interactions between European settlers and various Anishinaabe tribes, such as the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi. However, it remained relatively uncommon outside of these communities.
One notable individual with the name Wakisha was a 19th-century Potawatomi leader from present-day Michigan, who played a significant role in negotiating treaties and advocating for the rights of his people. He was born in the late 1700s and died in the mid-1800s.
Another historical figure with the name Wakisha was an Ojibwe warrior and hunter from the Great Lakes region, who lived in the early 19th century. He was renowned for his bravery and skill in battle, which aligned with the meaning of his name.
In the early 20th century, a young Odawa woman named Wakisha became known for her exceptional beadwork and traditional crafts, which helped preserve and promote her cultural heritage. She lived from the late 1800s to the mid-1900s.
An Anishinaabe artist and storyteller named Wakisha also gained recognition in the late 20th century for her contributions to preserving and sharing the oral traditions and legends of her people. She was born in the early 1900s and lived into the 21st century.
While the name Wakisha has remained relatively uncommon outside of Anishinaabe communities, it continues to be used as a way to honor the culture and values of these Indigenous peoples, particularly the virtues of bravery and courage.
People
Wakisha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Wakisha as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with W
Other first names starting with W with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Wakisha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Wakisha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 79 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Wakisha 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 4,338,663 US residents.
Is Wakisha a common name?
We classify Wakisha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 61.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 86 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Wakisha most popular?
The single biggest year for Wakisha was 1975, when 17 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Wakisha is about 48 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Wakisha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Wakisha 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.