Alesa
Of Greek origin, meaning "defending warrior" or "defending protector".
Name Census estimates that about 820 living Americans carry the first name Alesa. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Alesa today is around 45 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Alesa births was 1963 (38 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Alesa. 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
820
~ 1 in 417,993 Americans
Peak year
1963
38 babies that year
Average age
45
years old
2018 SSA rank
#15,792
Tracked since 1951
Popularity
Alesa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Alesa from the 1950s through to the 2010s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 243 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Alesa 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 Alesa during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Alesas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, Texas, Ohio recorded the most babies named Alesa, while Ohio, Texas, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 6 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Alesa
The name Alesa is believed to have its origins in the Greek language. It is thought to be a feminine form of the male name Alexis, which means "defender" or "helper" in Greek. This name can be traced back to ancient times, with variations like Alesea and Alesia being found in ancient Greek texts and records.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Alesa can be found in the works of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, who lived in the 5th century BC. He mentioned an individual named Alesia, who was a priestess at the temple of Artemis in Ephesus.
During the Byzantine era, there are records of a saint named Alesia, who lived in the 4th century AD. She was a Christian martyr who was executed for her beliefs during the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian.
In the Middle Ages, the name Alesa appeared in various forms across Europe. One notable figure was Alesia of Montfort, a 13th-century French noblewoman who played a role in the conflict between the Capetian and Plantagenet dynasties.
In the Renaissance period, there was an Italian painter named Alesa Bellaroba, who lived in the 15th century and was known for her portraits and religious works.
Another historical figure with the name Alesa was Alesa Duhamel, a 17th-century French writer and philosopher who was part of the intellectual circle of the Parisian salons.
While the name Alesa has been used throughout history, it has remained relatively uncommon in most parts of the world. However, it continues to be used, primarily in Eastern Europe and parts of the Mediterranean region, where it has maintained its connection to its Greek roots and cultural significance.
People
Alesa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Alesa as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Alesa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Alesa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 820 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Alesa 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 417,993 US residents.
Is Alesa a common name?
We classify Alesa as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 926 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Alesa most popular?
The single biggest year for Alesa was 1963, when 38 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Alesa is about 45 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Alesa a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Alesa 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.
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.