Anoushka
A feminine name with Sanskrit origins meaning "tender, delicate, unripe."
Name Census estimates that about 630 living Americans carry the first name Anoushka. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Anoushka today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Anoushka births was 2009 (58 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Anoushka. 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
630
~ 1 in 544,055 Americans
Peak year
2009
58 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2024 SSA rank
#12,242
Tracked since 2000
Popularity
Anoushka: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Anoushka from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 375 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Anoushka 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 Anoushka during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Anoushkas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. California, New Jersey, New York recorded the most babies named Anoushka, while Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 38 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Anoushka
The name Anoushka has its origins in the Persian language and culture. It is a diminutive form of the Persian name Anoush, which means "sweet" or "sweet basil."
The name is believed to have been in use since ancient times in Persia, which is now modern-day Iran. It was likely derived from the Persian word "anush," meaning sweetness or delight.
While the name does not appear to have any direct historical references in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it has been used throughout the centuries by Persian families.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Anoushka is from the 16th century, when it was used for a Persian princess. However, records from that time period are often incomplete or lost.
Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the name Anoushka. One of the most famous was Anoushka Shankar (born 1981), an Indian sitar player and composer, and the daughter of the renowned musician Ravi Shankar. She is widely acclaimed for her contribution to Indian classical music.
Another notable Anoushka was Anoushka Grinstein (1925-2014), a French painter and sculptor known for her abstract and surrealist works. She was born in Russia and later moved to France, where she gained recognition for her art.
In the literary world, Anoushka Shankar (born 1976) is an Indian author and poet who has published several collections of poetry and short stories. Her works often explore themes of identity, culture, and the human experience.
Anoushka Hempel (born 1941) is a renowned British interior designer and hotelier. She is known for her luxurious and stylish designs, which have been featured in hotels and resorts around the world.
Anoushka Fisz (born 1978) is a Polish singer-songwriter and actress. She has released several albums and has appeared in various television shows and films in Poland.
People
Anoushka + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Anoushka 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
Anoushka: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Anoushka?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 630 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Anoushka 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 544,055 US residents.
Is Anoushka a common name?
We classify Anoushka as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 637 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Anoushka most popular?
The single biggest year for Anoushka was 2009, when 58 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Anoushka is about 17 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Anoushka a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Anoushka 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.