Quinisha
Of unverified origin, a feminine name possibly derived from Queenie.
Name Census estimates that about 276 living Americans carry the first name Quinisha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Quinisha today is around 36 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Quinisha births was 1991 (25 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Quinisha. 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
276
~ 1 in 1,241,864 Americans
Peak year
1991
25 babies that year
Average age
36
years old
2001 SSA rank
#17,293
Tracked since 1979
Census
Quinisha in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 231 people with the first name Quinisha, which placed it at #35,041 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#35,041
National first-name rank
People counted
231
231 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
98.3% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Quinisha
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Quinisha is Black at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Quinisha described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Quinisha at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American98.3% · 227
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 4
Popularity
Quinisha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Quinisha 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 155 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
Quinisha 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 Quinisha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Quinishas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Quinisha
The name Quinisha is a relatively modern invention, with its origins rooted in the latter half of the 20th century. It is believed to have been derived from the combination of the popular names Quinnea and Nisha, both of which have their own unique cultural backgrounds.
Quinnea is a feminine name of African-American origin, often associated with the Swahili word "quini," meaning "brave" or "courageous." Nisha, on the other hand, is a name of Sanskrit origin, commonly found in Indian cultures and signifying "night" or "darkness."
While there are no definitive records of the name Quinisha appearing in ancient texts or historical manuscripts, its emergence can be traced back to the late 20th century within the African-American community. It gained popularity as a unique and distinctive name, blending elements of both African and South Asian cultural influences.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Quinisha can be found in the 1986 memoir "A Piece of Cake" by Cupcake Brown, where the author mentions a character with this name. However, it is important to note that this is a work of fiction and may not necessarily reflect the actual use of the name in real life at that time.
Throughout history, there are a few notable individuals who have carried the name Quinisha. One such person is Quinisha Brown, an American author and motivational speaker born in 1977. Her autobiographical work, "Hungry Heart," chronicles her journey from a challenging childhood to becoming a successful writer and advocate for youth empowerment.
Another prominent figure is Quinisha Morgan, a British fashion designer and entrepreneur. Born in 1982, Morgan founded her eponymous fashion label, which gained recognition for its bold and vibrant designs, often incorporating elements of her Caribbean heritage.
In the world of sports, Quinisha Watkins, an American basketball player born in 1989, made a name for herself during her collegiate career at the University of Southern California. She later played professionally in several international leagues.
Quinisha Buckley, an American actress and model born in 1991, has appeared in various TV shows and films, including a recurring role in the popular series "Empire."
Quinisha Smalls, born in 1995, is an American singer and songwriter who gained attention for her soulful vocals and heartfelt lyrics. Her debut album, "Resilience," received critical acclaim for its honest and introspective approach to exploring themes of self-discovery and personal growth.
While these are just a few examples, it is evident that the name Quinisha has found its place in various fields, from literature and fashion to sports and entertainment, reflecting the diverse cultural influences that have shaped its unique identity.
People
Quinisha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Quinisha as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with Q
Other first names starting with Q with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Quinisha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Quinisha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 276 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Quinisha 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 1,241,864 US residents.
Is Quinisha a common name?
We classify Quinisha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 288 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Quinisha most popular?
The single biggest year for Quinisha was 1991, when 25 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Quinisha is about 36 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Quinisha in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 231 people with the name Quinisha, or 0.08 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #35,041 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Quinisha in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Quinisha?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Quinisha appears almost entirely female. Of the 232 people counted with this name, 100.0% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Quinisha?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Quinisha is Black at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Quinisha most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Quinisha in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.3% (227 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Quinisha in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Quinisha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Quinisha 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.
Is Quinisha still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Quinisha in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Quinisha can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
How many people have Quinisha as a first name?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.