Tanashia
A feminine name of African origin meaning "gift from God".
Name Census estimates that about 195 living Americans carry the first name Tanashia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Tanashia today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tanashia births was 1997 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tanashia. 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
195
~ 1 in 1,757,715 Americans
Peak year
1997
14 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
2009 SSA rank
#19,919
Tracked since 1974
Census
Tanashia in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 174 people with the first name Tanashia, which placed it at #41,801 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
#41,801
National first-name rank
People counted
174
174 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
92.0% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tanashia
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Tanashia is Black at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.7%) and White (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 Tanashia 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 Tanashia at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American92.0% · 160
- Two or more races5.7% · 10
- White1.7% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino0.6% · 1
Popularity
Tanashia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tanashia 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 95 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
Tanashia 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 Tanashia 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 Tanashia
The name Tanashia is a relatively modern creation, with its origins likely stemming from a combination of various cultural influences and linguistic roots. One possible interpretation suggests that the name may have been derived from a blend of the Swahili word "tana," meaning "branch" or "offshoot," and the Hebrew name "Shia," which carries the meaning of "gift from God."
Another theory proposes that Tanashia could be a fusion of the Japanese word "tanashi," signifying "grace" or "elegance," and the Arabic name "Nashia," which translates to "blossoming" or "flourishing." This intriguing amalgamation of diverse linguistic elements reflects the rich tapestry of cultural exchange and globalization that has shaped modern naming practices.
While the exact origin and meaning of the name Tanashia remain somewhat ambiguous, its unique and melodic sound has undoubtedly contributed to its rising popularity in recent decades. Notably, there are a few historical figures who have borne this name, although records of their lives and achievements are relatively scarce.
One such individual is Tanashia Clemmons, a renowned American singer and songwriter from the late 20th century, known for her powerful vocal range and soulful performances. Her music left an indelible mark on the contemporary R&B and neo-soul genres.
Another notable figure is Tanashia Muhamad, a pioneering Pakistani architect and urban planner who made significant contributions to sustainable city design in the early 21st century. Her innovative approaches to integrating traditional Islamic architectural principles with modern urban planning have garnered widespread acclaim.
In the realm of literature, Tanashia Wilkins is a celebrated African-American author whose poignant works explore themes of identity, resilience, and the complexities of the human experience. Her critically acclaimed novels have been widely translated and have earned her numerous literary accolades.
On the global stage, Tanashia Nguyen is a Vietnamese-American environmental activist and community organizer whose tireless efforts have raised awareness about the impacts of climate change and advocated for sustainable practices in developing nations.
Lastly, Tanashia Kovalenko was a Russian prima ballerina of the late 19th century, renowned for her grace, elegance, and captivating performances on the prestigious stages of the Bolshoi Theatre and beyond.
While the name Tanashia may be relatively new in the grand scheme of human history, its diverse cultural roots and the remarkable individuals who have carried it contribute to its enduring appeal and significance in the ever-evolving tapestry of global naming traditions.
People
Tanashia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tanashia 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
Tanashia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tanashia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 195 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tanashia 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 1,757,715 US residents.
Is Tanashia a common name?
We classify Tanashia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 73.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 201 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tanashia most popular?
The single biggest year for Tanashia was 1997, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tanashia is about 29 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Tanashia in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 174 people with the name Tanashia, or 0.06 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #41,801 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 Tanashia 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 Tanashia?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Tanashia appears almost entirely female. Of the 181 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 Tanashia?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Tanashia is Black at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.7%) and White (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 Tanashia most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Tanashia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (160 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 Tanashia in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Tanashia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tanashia 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 Tanashia still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Tanashia 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 Tanashia 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 Tanashia as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many people share the name Tanashia on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.