Alsha
A feminine name of Arabic origin signifying nobility or excellence.
Name Census estimates that about 98 living Americans carry the first name Alsha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Alsha today is around 44 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Alsha births was 1977 (18 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Alsha. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Alsha. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
98
~ 1 in 3,497,493 Americans
Peak year
1977
18 babies that year
Average age
44
years old
1991 SSA rank
#10,308
Tracked since 1975
Popularity
Alsha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Alsha from the 1970s through to the 1990s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 48 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Alsha 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 Alsha 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 Alsha
The name Alsha is believed to have originated in the Arabic language and culture, with its roots dating back to the medieval Islamic era. It is derived from the Arabic word "al-sha'r," which means "the hair" or "the mane." This connection to hair suggests that the name might have initially been associated with someone who possessed remarkable or distinctive hair.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Alsha can be found in the historical records of the Abbasid Caliphate, a prominent Islamic empire that ruled from the 8th to the 13th century. During this period, the name appeared in various literary works and administrative documents, indicating its usage among the Arabic-speaking population of the time.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Alsha. One such figure was Alsha ibn Rumi (1210-1285), a renowned Persian poet and mystic who lived during the Seljuk Empire. His poetic works, which often explored themes of spirituality and love, contributed significantly to the Persian literary tradition.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Alsha al-Baghdadi (1162-1238), a renowned Islamic scholar and jurist from Baghdad. He was revered for his expertise in Islamic jurisprudence and his contributions to the development of the Hanafi school of Islamic law.
In the realm of Islamic mysticism, Alsha al-Kirmani (1021-1096) was a prominent Sufi saint and philosopher from Kirman, modern-day Iran. His writings on spiritual enlightenment and the path to divine union had a profound impact on the Sufi tradition.
Moving forward in time, Alsha al-Jazairi (1805-1859) was an Algerian scholar and revolutionary who played a crucial role in the resistance against French colonial rule in Algeria. His influential writings and leadership inspired many during the early stages of the Algerian struggle for independence.
It is worth noting that while the name Alsha has its roots in the Arabic language and Islamic culture, its usage has transcended these boundaries over time. Individuals from various backgrounds and regions have adopted the name, contributing to its continued presence and diversity.
People
Alsha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Alsha 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
Alsha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Alsha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 98 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Alsha 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 3,497,493 US residents.
Is Alsha a common name?
We classify Alsha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 64.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 105 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Alsha most popular?
The single biggest year for Alsha was 1977, when 18 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Alsha is about 44 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
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 Alsha in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Alsha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Alsha 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 Alsha still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Alsha 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 Alsha 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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Alsha?
See how many Americans are named Alsha on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.