Holding steady.
Popularity of Kiesha since 1965
Babies named Kiesha per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1960s | 91 |
| 1970s | 1,003 |
| 1980s | 851 |
| 1990s | 540 |
| 2000s | 131 |
| 2010s | 5 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Kiesha first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1965, and by 1976 it hit its peak popularity, ranking within the top 1,000 names for girls. The name is a variant of Keisha, which itself reflects a naming trend of the era where prefixes like Ke- were combined with melodic suffixes. Although Kiesha never cracked the top 100, it enjoyed moderate use throughout the 1970s. Since then, its usage has steadily declined, and as of 2025, it is given to fewer than 5 babies per year, making it a rare choice today. The name's trajectory has been stable in recent decades, with no significant revival.
Kiesha emerged in the United States in the mid-20th century as a variant of Keisha, itself a respelling of Keziah (Hebrew name meaning 'cassia tree') or a modern coinage influenced by names like Aisha. The name gained popularity in African American communities during the 1970s, often formed by combining the popular prefix Ke- with the fashionable suffix -isha.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Kiki, Kesh
Sibling names for Kiesha
Names that share Kiesha's style, for a brother or sister.
