Arha
A feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "deserving worship".
Name Census estimates that about 275 living Americans carry the first name Arha. It is a predominantly female name (98.2% of registrations). The average person named Arha today is around 4 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Arha births was 2024 (63 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Arha. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Arha with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
275
~ 1 in 1,246,379 Americans
Peak year
2024
63 babies that year
Average age
4
years old
2015 SSA rank
#2,713
Tracked since 2015
Gender
Gender distribution for Arha
Arha leans heavily female at 98.2% of total registrations, but 5 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Arha as a male name
- Ranked #12,222 in 2015
- 5 male births in 2015
- Peak: 2015 (5 births)
Arha as a female name
- Ranked #2,713 in 2024
- 63 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (63 births)
Popularity
Arha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Arha from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 233 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Arha 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 Arha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Arhas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. Texas, California, Michigan recorded the most babies named Arha, while Georgia, North Carolina, Michigan recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 14 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Arha
The name Arha is believed to have its origins in ancient Sanskrit, one of the oldest languages of the Indian subcontinent. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "arha," which means "worthy" or "deserving." This name has been in use for centuries and has a rich cultural and historical significance.
In ancient Hindu texts and scriptures, the term "arha" was often used to refer to those who had attained spiritual enlightenment or had achieved a high level of spiritual purity. The name Arha was thus sometimes bestowed upon individuals who were considered spiritually advanced or highly respected within their communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Arha can be found in the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata, which dates back to around the 8th century BCE. In this epic, there is a character named Arha, who is described as a wise and learned sage.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Arha. One of the most famous was Arha Nath (c. 15th century CE), a renowned mystic and saint from the Nath tradition in India. He was known for his teachings on spiritual awakening and self-realization.
Another historical figure with the name Arha was Arha Bhatta (476-550 CE), an Indian mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of mathematics, including the concept of the zero and the use of negative numbers.
In the realm of literature, there was Arha Kalidas (c. 4th-5th century CE), a celebrated Sanskrit poet and dramatist who authored several influential works, including the epic poem "Raghuvamsa" and the play "Abhijnanashakuntalam."
The name Arha was also borne by Arha Udayin (c. 5th century BCE), a prominent Buddhist monk and disciple of the Buddha, who is said to have achieved enlightenment and became an arhat, or a "worthy one."
Another notable figure was Arha Nagarjuna (c. 150-250 CE), a renowned Buddhist philosopher and the founder of the Madhyamaka school of Buddhist philosophy, which greatly influenced the development of Mahayana Buddhism.
While the name Arha has its roots in ancient Sanskrit and Hindu traditions, it has also been adopted and used in various other cultures and regions over time, reflecting its enduring appeal and significance.
People
Arha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Arha 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
Arha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Arha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 275 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Arha 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 1,246,379 US residents.
Is Arha a common name?
We classify Arha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 277 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Arha most popular?
The single biggest year for Arha was 2024, when 63 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Arha is about 4 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 Arha in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Arha a female name?
Yes, 98.2% of people registered as Arha 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 Arha still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Arha 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 Arha 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 Arha?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.