NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Tinesha

A feminine name with possible origins in an African language.

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2005. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Tinesha is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Tinesha popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2005 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4798, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1999, with 4 births.

This profile covers 7 England and Wales registrations across 2 recorded years from 1999 to 2005. 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 75% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 7 living people in the UK are called Tinesha. 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 2006 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Tinesha ranked #4798 for girls in England and Wales in 2005, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1999, when 4 girls were registered as Tinesha.
  • About 7 living people in the UK are estimated to have Tinesha as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4798

2005

Births in 2005

3

Latest year

Peak year

1999

4 births

Estimated living

7

2026

Meaning

What does Tinesha mean?

The name Tinesha has its origins in the African-American community, emerging in the latter half of the 20th century. It is believed to be a modern variation of the name Tinisha, which is derived from a combination of the English names Tina and Nisha. The name Tina itself is a diminutive form of the Latin name Christina, meaning "a Christian" or "follower of Christ."

While the name Tinesha does not have a direct historical or cultural reference, it reflects the creative naming practices within the African-American community during the latter part of the 20th century. This period saw a resurgence of cultural pride and a desire to establish unique identities through the creation of new names or variations of existing ones.

One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Tinesha can be found in the book "Black Names in America: Origins and Usage" by Gladys-Marie Fry, published in 1977. This suggests that the name was already in circulation by the mid-to-late 1970s.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Tinesha. Tinesha Zandamela, born in 1988, is a South African singer and songwriter who gained recognition as a contestant on the reality competition show Idols South Africa in 2010. Tinesha Thompson, born in 1989, is an American professional basketball player who played in the WNBA for the Los Angeles Sparks and the Atlanta Dream.

Another prominent figure is Tinesha Monique Henton, born in 1987, an American track and field athlete specializing in the long jump and triple jump events. She represented the United States at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Tinesha Burroughs, born in 1990, is an American professional wrestler better known by her ring name Allysin Kay.

Tinesha Allen, born in 1977, is an American former professional basketball player who played in the WNBA for teams such as the Charlotte Sting and the Minnesota Lynx. She was a standout player at the University of Virginia and was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Tinesha over time

The chart below shows babies named Tinesha registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1999 to 2005. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Tinesha, the clearest high point is 1999. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2005, compared with 4 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Tinesha
01234199920022005

Decades

Tinesha by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Tinesha 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
2000s #4798 3 1
1990s #3225 4 1

Related

Names similar to Tinesha

FAQ

Tinesha: questions and answers

How popular is the name Tinesha in the UK right now?

In 2005, Tinesha was ranked #4798 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Tinesha most popular?

The peak year on record was 1999, with 4 babies registered as Tinesha in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Tinesha?

A feminine name with possible origins in an African language.

How many people are called Tinesha in the UK?

A total of 7 babies have been registered as Tinesha across the 2 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.