Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post presents information about the female name "Keisha".
This pancocojams post also presents a list that I've compiled in chronological order of fictional characters with the name "Keisha" or characters with variants of the name "Keisha" in books, movies, television series, songs, and other mass media products in the United States and in Britain. With one exception, each of these characters are explicitly or implictedly depicted as
either being African American or Black British.
Citations for these entries are included in this list except for the entries for some of the Hip Hop songs whose lyrics I consider to be sexually explicit and/or violent.
Please add to this list of fictional characters named Keisha or variants of that name by sharing information in this post's comment section about those characters that I missed.
The content of this post is presented for socio-cultural purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
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Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-racialization-of-female-name-keisha.html for the 2015 pancocojams post entitled "How The Name "Keisha" & Its Variants Came To Be Considered "Black Names"".
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INFORMATION ABOUT THE NAME "KEISHA"
Excerpt #2
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keisha
"Keisha" is a female given name claimed to be of Hebrew origin, from Keziah.[1] It is considered to be an African-American name in the United States.
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That Wikipedia page provides lists of notable people with the name "Keisha" or variants of that female name.
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Excerpt #2
From https://www.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/babyname.cgi
For each year, we show the rank for Keisha and a bar representing the popularity of that name. The longer the bar, the more popular the name. The more popular the name in a given year, the numerically lower the rank, with rank 1 being the most popular.
Year Rank Popularity of female name Keisha
1997 803
1996 625
1995 648
1994 617
1993 593
1992 518
1991 429
1990 397
1989 361
1988 371
1987 325
1986 331
1985 354
1984 410
1983 381
1982 352
1981 330
1980 279
1979 257
1978 246
1977 237
1976 233
1975 241
1974 257
1973 259
1972 303
1971 367
1970 448
1969 543
1968 721
1967 839
Years where ranks are the same does not imply that the number of births are the same. Data are missing for 30 years where the name Keisha is not in the top 1000 most popular names. Name data are from Social Security card applications for births that occurred in the United States.
More information for female name Keisha
[…]
The year when the name Keisha was most popular is 1976. In that year, the number of births is 1027, which represents 0.065 percent of total female births in 1976.
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This data indicates that in spite of the custom of naming fictional female characters "Keisha" to almost automatically denote African American or other Black ancestry, since at least the 1990s the name "Keisha" isn't all that common in the United States. Furthermore, the name "Keisha" has become less popular since the late 1970s and isn't even in the United States' Social Security Administration's list of the top 1000 names for females.
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CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF FICTIONAL CHARACTERS NAMED "KEISHA" OR VARIANTS OF THAT NAME
1992-Keisha is the name of a character in one episode of the American sitcom Hangin' with Mr. Cooper.
https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/hangin-with-mr-cooper/cast/1000084631/
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1994- Keesha Franklin is a character in the American children’s television series Magic School Bus.
"The Magic School Bus is an American animated children's television series, based on the book series of the same name by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen. Running originally from 1994 to 1997, the series received critical acclaim for its use of celebrity voice talent and combining entertainment with an educational series.[1]"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Magic_School_Bus_(TV_series) [Read that Wikipedia page for more information on this series’ broadcast history.]
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1995- Keisha is the name of a doll in the Magic Attic Club doll brand and its associated children’s books
The Magic Attic Club line was the brainchild of Gretchen Springer and Jeff McKinnon of Georgetown Collection, a doll company based in Maine. ….
At the time of the MAC dolls' introduction, there was no American Girl of Today doll. …
[…]
1995 Keisha Joins the Club
…Keisha, shown in purple in the picture below, had a new African American face sculpt. She was introduced with her own bedroom collection, holiday dress and three adventure sets, just like the other girls in the club [Megan, Heather and Alison].
…. The colors of the outfits reflect the girls' "favorite colors" which are echoed throughout the other parts of the line, including clothes and furniture.”… http://www.justmagicdolls.com/meet/mac/magicattic.htm
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After several sales of the company to new corporate owners, the production of Magic Attic Club doll line ended in December 2004.
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1998- Kisha is the girlfriend of street criminal named Tommy in the African American movie Belly.
"[Belly is] A slick, enlightening drama about two urban drug dealers (Nas, DMX) who come to a crossroads in their lives and friendship. The absorbing story follows two small-time hoods who hope their New York City street smarts will help them hit it big in Omaha. While one pursues a life of crime, the other's life changes when he becomes a daddy.”… https://www.tvguide.com/movies/belly/2000278885/
2005- Keisha da Sket is the name of the main character in an online serialized story with that title
..."Keisha the Sket was a story written by Jade LB, who began releasing chapters online in 2005 when she was 13-years-old. The serialised online novel was shared and consumed across the Sony Ericssons and Blackberrys of our teenage years, and became a touchstone of Black British culture. Now, it’s being revalorised in print for the first time under Stormzy’s award-winning publishing imprint, #Merky Books.
While the white-washed postcolonial curriculum of school promises the tired texts of Macbeth and Lord of the Flies, Keisha the Sket rapidly became the serialised online literature favoured by school kids.”….
https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/52424/1/merky-books-is-reviving-the-noughties-viral-classic-keisha-the-sket
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-sket” = British derogatory, slang a promiscuous girl or woman [slut]
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/sket
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2007-Keisha Ray is the name of a member of the Double Dutch team that is the focus of the movie Jump In!
“Jump In! is a 2007 Disney Channel Original Movie, which premiered on January 12, 2007. It was released on Disney Channel UK on April 27, 2007. The film, starring Corbin Bleu and Keke Palmer, revolves around a young boxer, Izzy Daniels (Bleu), who trains to follow in his father's footsteps by winning the Golden Glove. When his friend, Mary (Palmer), asks him to substitute for a team member in a Double Dutch tournament, Izzy discovers his new love for the sport."...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jump_In!
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2007- Keisha is a character in Tyler Perry's 2007 Why Did I Get Married?
"Why Did I Get Married? is a 2007 American comedy-drama film adaptation written, produced, directed, and starring Tyler Perry. It was inspired by Perry's play of the same name…
The film is about the difficulty of maintaining a solid relationship in modern times. Eight married college friends plus one other non-friend (all of whom have achieved middle to upper class economic status) go to Colorado for their annual week-long reunion, but the mood shifts when one couple's infidelity comes to light.”…. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_Did_I_Get_Married%3F
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The character of Keisha was played by Kaira Akita. Coincidentally actress Keesha Ulricka Sharp played the character “Pam” in that movie.
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2011 - "Keisha's Song" (Her Pain) is a Hip Hop song that was composed by and performed by Kendrick Lamar.
…”Keisha's Song definitely wasn't recorded for the Disney-Channel tweens set. It told the tale of Keisha, a 17-year-old prostitute who got killed by a man after being raped. But at the end of the song, Kendrick revealed that he let his 11-year-old sister listen to it shortly after he recorded it to show her the dangers of prostitution and to try to steer her clear of becoming the next Keisha. Powerful stuff.”… https://www.complex.com/music/2013/08/characters-in-rap-songs/
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2011- Keisha is the main a character in the children’s book Keisha’s Coat written by Marjorie Murrow and illustrated by Joyce Killebrew
“Fun-loving Keisha wants to be noticed, and she has found some unusual ways to get the attention she craves, especially at school. Keisha’s Coat is a story that could spur classroom discussion about children’s need for attention.”… https://www.forewordreviews.com/reviews/keishas-coat/
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2011 - Keisha Green is a character in the American comedy-drama television series Single Ladies.
"Single Ladies, debuted on May 30, 2011, as a two-hour television film on VH1.[2] Created by Stacy A. Littlejohn and produced by Queen Latifah's Flavor Unit Entertainment, the series chronicles the lives of three friends—Val, Keisha and April (and later Raquel)—and their relationships.[3] VH1 announced on February 28, 2014, that Single Ladies was canceled.[4][5] It was announced on April 8, 2014, that BET Networks ordered a fourth season which would air on Centric.[6] Single Ladies returned on March 18, 2015 with Melissa De Sousa joining the cast.”… https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single_Ladies_(TV_series)
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2011 – Starrkeisha is the name of a fictional Black female character who was conceptualized and is performed by Black male vocalist, songwriter, and comedic writer/actor Cameron J. Henderson. The Starrkeisha videos are aired on Cameron J's YouTube channel RandomStructureTV. The first Starrkeisha video entitled "I Need My Child Support Money!- StarrKeisha/Cameron J" was uploaded on YouTube on Jan 15, 2011.
"(S1) I Need My Child Support Money! - StarrKeisha/Cameron J., RandomStructureTV, Jan 15, 2011 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l--wmtJ7Vj8
"The newest edition to RSTV is not only ghetto, but quite trashy and uneducated. I wanted to create a character that can bring some ghetto fabulous flavor to my channel, StarrKeisha definitely does that! Lol!"
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This first video in the Starrkeisha series introduces the characters "Starrkeisha" and her (baby daddy) Cameron J. Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/06/child-support-rap-battle-starrkeisha-vs.html for Part I of a four part pancocojams series on Starrkeisha.
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2012- Keisha Blake (later known as "Natalie") is one of the main characters in a story that is included in the British novel NW by Zadie Smith
“This week’s story, “Permission to Enter,” charts the life of its protagonist, Keisha Blake, and her best friend, Leah Hanwell, neighbors in a housing estate in North West London, from the ages of four to twenty-one. Through a series of numbered vignettes, we watch Keisha’s progression through school and university as she and Leah gradually leave the estate and its expectations behind them.
[…]
The driving forces of this story are class, sex, and education. When Keisha goes away to university, she changes her first name to Natalie, which is something we realize in passing when Leah comes to visit and stumbles over this new name. The story is full of other signifiers of class and status, but they never overwhelm the narrative.” https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/this-week-in-fiction-zadie-smith-3
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2013 - Kisha Davis is a character in the American horror parody movie A Haunted House.
"A Haunted House is a 2013 American found footage parody film directed by Michael Tiddes, written by, produced by and starring Marlon Wayans.[3] Although Wayans said the film was "not exactly a parody" but rather a movie with funny characters doing the opposite of what typical people do in similar horror films,"[4][5] the film pokes fun at the "found footage" horror genre, such as Paranormal Activity and The Devil Inside. It was released on January 11, 2013 and was panned by critics, but grossed $60 million against a budget of $2.5 million. A sequel, A Haunted House 2, was released on April 18, 2014.[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Haunted_House#Cast
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2014 -LaKeisha Grant is a recurring/main character in the American television crime drama series Power
"Power is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Courtney A. Kemp in collaboration with Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson. It aired on the Starz network from June 7, 2014, to February 9, 2020."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_(TV_series)
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2015- Keisha is a girl who is an aspiring baker and friend of the main character named Ally
..."Fish In The Tree is a middle-grade novel Fish In The Tree written by American author Lynda Mullaly Hunt. It follows the story of a middle-school girl named Ally, who is artistically and mathematically talented but unable to read due to her dyslexia".... https://www.supersummary.com/fish-in-a-tree/summary/
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2016-August 2018: Keisha is the protagonist and narrator of fictional queer and mystery podcast Alice Isn't Dead. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Isn%27t_Dead
2017- Keisha, (also known as BabyKeisha) is a character in a Roblox roleplay video channel known as ZaiLetsPlay.” The developer is an American woman who emigrated to Britain in 2019.
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"The "My Annoying Little Sister (Keisha)" series follows the life of two sisters in the sassy, and feisty Baby Keisha, and the caring, protective Zai through there adventures of trying to find a good home and a good family when everyone in their life seems to keep turning on them. The series is Zai's first ever role-play series, and it launched it's first episode on July 10, 2017.
https://zailetsplay.fandom.com/wiki/My_Annoying_Little_Sister_(Keisha)
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The ZaiLetsPlay video game seies is an exception to all the other entries in this list of fictional characters with the name "Keisha" (or its variants) because no racial or ethnic designation is given to characters in the ZaiLetsPlay video game series. Players can change the skin color of these video characters.
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2018 - Kiesha Williams is a character in the American television drama series The Chi.
"The Chi (pronounced THE-SHY) is an American drama series created by Lena Waithe about life in a neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago.[4] The pilot was directed by Rick Famuyiwa.[4] It premiered on Showtime on January 7, 2018. On January 30, 2018, Showtime renewed the series for a second season which premiered on April 7, 2019.[5][6] On April 30, 2019, Showtime renewed the series for a third season which premiered on June 21, 2020.[7][8] On May 20, 2019, it was announced that Jason Mitchell would not be returning to the show for season 3 because of "sexual misconduct allegations".[9]
Premise
The Chi is described as following "a fateful turn of events that sends shockwaves through a community on the Southside of Chicago and connects the lives of Emmett, Brandon, Ronnie and Kevin in unexpected ways."[10]
Cast
[…]
Actress Birgundi Baker [is cast] as Kiesha Williams (season 3; recurring seasons 1–2), Kevin's sister.[12]"...
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2019 - Keshia is the main character in the Hip Hop song “Keshia Had A Baby” by YG
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[Lyric Warning, sexually explicit content]
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2019
Keisha is the name of one of the woman who is the central character in the Hip Hop song “Keisha & Becky”
Artists: Russ, Tion Wayne
Featured artists: Aitch, Jay1, Swarmz, Sav'O
Album: T Wayne’s World 3
Released: 2019"
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Lyric Warning: violence, sexually explicit content
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2021- The female name "Keisha" is mentioned in the line "Should I take Keisha or should I take Becky" in the 2021 Hip Hop song "Body" (remix) by Tion Wayne x Russ Millions. That song is known by the line "Adeola When I Roll With A Geezer".
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In that line "Keisha" is a quick (almost automatic) general referent for a young Black woman and "Becky" is a quick (almost automatic) general referent for a White woman.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-clean-meaning-of-name-becky-in.html for a 2016 pancocojams post entitled "The "Clean" Meaning of The Name "Becky" In African American Culture". That post presents information about how the name "Becky" became a referent for young White women.
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Lyric: Warning: profanity, sexually explicit content, and drug references
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
As the United States Social Security Administration data documents, the name "Keisha" and its variants has decreased in popularity since the 1970s. However, "Keisha names" used to be relatively common in (my guess) working class and poor African American communities.
ReplyDeleteHere's a quote from https://lithub.com/keisha-vs-kate-on-discarding-and-reclaiming-a-name/ "Keisha vs. Kate: On Discarding and Reclaiming a Name"
By Keisha Bush, February 1, 2021
"Keisha, and its various spellings, was a name synonymous with the black American hood. Kisha. Keesha. Kyeshia. Takisha. Nakisha. Mokeesha. Lakisha. Akisha. Makisha. At one point in my life, I knew about 12 other Keishas. I once became friends with a woman named Keisha because her father called out her name in my apartment building lobby and I answered him. I have a cousin named Kisha. My neighbor across the street, the one who was pregnant when I was born, named her daughter Lakisha.
Fast forward to adulthood, when I found myself in a lily-white academic institution: I was the only Keisha on my college campus (at least as far as I knew). I once went home for Thanksgiving break with my best friend at the time, who is Chinese; in an email prior to the trip, her dad asked if I was Japanese.
As I went on to graduate school and entered the corporate world, where I was never among other Keishas, white colleagues and friends would tell my name was unique and pretty. I would tell them how common it was within the black community. “You’re the first Keisha I ever met,” they would often respond.
[...]
a conversation with my editors reminded of a time when I was extremely proud to don my name. It was during time while I was still living in Senegal when, after meeting a few American sailors on shore leave, in downtown Dakar, one of them remarked that just hearing my name made his day.
“We’re a dime a dozen,” I laughed, rolling my eyes.
“My closest homegirl back home is named Keisha,” he responded. “Look, Keisha’s have got your back no matter what. Everybody needs a Keisha in their life.”
I had never looked at it that way, and it made me happy that I could offer members of our military a sense of home, so many miles away."...
The Social Security Administration's list of the top 1000 personal names in the United States doesn't provide any racial/ethnic demographics.
DeleteHowever, the New York City Health Department's annual list of names of children born in that city does provide racial/ethnic data.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2021/06/lists-of-popular-names-for-non-hispanic.html for the pancocojams post entitled "Lists of Popular Names For Non-Hispanic Black Females Born In New York City (2013 & 2016)". Neither of those list include the name "Keisha" or any of its variants.