Declining since 1993, #14,942 for girls today.
Popularity of Kalisha since 1970
Babies named Kalisha per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 246 |
| 1980s | 422 |
| 1990s | 363 |
| 2000s | 187 |
| 2010s | 62 |
| 2020s | 18 |
Meaning & origin
Kalisha is a modern name that emerged in the United States during the 1970s, a decade known for creative name inventions. First recorded in 1970, it reached its highest usage in 1978, a year that represents its peak rank. Since 1993, its popularity has been steadily declining. In the most recent data from 2025, approximately 1 in every 321,453 girls received the name, placing it at rank 14,942. The name was not associated with any particular state or region, suggesting it appeared sporadically across the country. Kalisha belongs to a wave of names ending in -isha that became fashionable in African American communities during the mid-20th century, alongside names like Keisha and Tanisha.
Kalisha is a modern invented name, first appearing in U.S. records in the 1970s. It blends phonetic elements of established names such as Kalila (Arabic for 'beloved') and Aisha (Arabic for 'alive, living') with the popular -isha suffix seen in names like Keisha and Trisha. There is no traditional etymology or historical usage.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Kali, Lisha, Kiki
Sibling names for Kalisha
Names that share Kalisha's style, for a brother or sister.
