UK girl's name
Kanisha
A feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "the youngest daughter".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2022. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Kanisha is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Kanisha popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2022 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5669, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2005, with 7 births.
This profile covers 90 England and Wales registrations across 20 recorded years from 1996 to 2022. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 43% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 89 living people in the UK are called Kanisha. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2023 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Kanisha ranked #5669 for girls in England and Wales in 2022, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2005, when 7 girls were registered as Kanisha.
- • About 89 living people in the UK are estimated to have Kanisha as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5669
2022
Births in 2022
3
Latest year
Peak year
2005
7 births
Estimated living
89
2026
Meaning
What does Kanisha mean?
The name Kanisha has its origins in the Sanskrit language, which is an ancient Indo-Aryan language that dates back to the 2nd millennium BCE. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "kanishtha," which means "youngest" or "smallest." It is believed that the name was originally used to refer to the youngest child in a family.
In ancient Hindu texts and scriptures, such as the Vedas and the Upanishads, there are references to the concept of "kanishtha" as a term used to describe the youngest or smallest among a group. However, there are no specific mentions of the name Kanisha itself in these texts.
The earliest recorded use of the name Kanisha can be traced back to the 6th century CE, when it was used by a Hindu princess from the Gupta Empire in India. Another notable historical figure with the name Kanisha was a 10th-century Sanskrit scholar and grammarian from Kashmir.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Kanisha:
1. Kanisha Narayanan (born 1985), an Indian classical dancer and choreographer. 2. Kanisha Malara (born 1992), a Sri Lankan cricketer who played for the national women's team. 3. Kanisha Grayson (born 1980), an American author and motivational speaker. 4. Kanisha Kumari (1920-2002), an Indian freedom fighter and social activist. 5. Kanisha Arora (born 1988), an Indian fashion designer and entrepreneur.
While the name Kanisha has its roots in Sanskrit and Hindu culture, it has also been adopted by various other communities and cultures around the world, particularly in South Asia and the Indian diaspora.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Kanisha over time
The chart below shows babies named Kanisha registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2022. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Kanisha, the clearest high point is 2005. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2022, compared with 7 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kanisha by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Kanisha was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #4815 | 8 | 2 |
| 2010s | #4748 | 21 | 5 |
| 2000s | #3474 | 45 | 9 |
| 1990s | #3304 | 16 | 4 |
Related
Names similar to Kanisha
- Katie 53,185
- Keira 14,411
- Katherine 11,323
- Kayleigh 10,677
- Kate 10,276
- Kelsey 7,224
- Kiera 7,218
- Kayla 6,541
- Kirsty 6,384
- Khadija 5,948
- Kimberley 5,189
- Kaitlyn 5,137
FAQ
Kanisha: questions and answers
How popular is the name Kanisha in the UK right now?
In 2022, Kanisha was ranked #5669 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Kanisha most popular?
The peak year on record was 2005, with 7 babies registered as Kanisha in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Kanisha?
A feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "the youngest daughter".
How many people are called Kanisha in the UK?
A total of 90 babies have been registered as Kanisha across the 20 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.