Arshag
Derived from Armenian "arshakh", meaning "true king" or "prince".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Arshag. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Arshag today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Arshag births was 1924 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Arshag. 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 Arshag. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1924
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1924 SSA rank
#4,386
Tracked since 1924
Popularity
Arshag: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Arshag 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 Arshag during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Arshag
The name Arshag has its origins in the Armenian language and culture, dating back to ancient times. It is derived from the Armenian word "arshak," which means "king" or "ruler." The name is believed to have been popular among the Armenian nobility and royalty during the reign of the Arsacid dynasty, which ruled the Kingdom of Armenia from the 1st century BC to the 5th century AD.
In Armenian mythology, Arshag was the name of a legendary hero and warrior who was said to have led the Armenian people in their struggle for independence from foreign oppressors. The name is also mentioned in several ancient Armenian texts and historical records, including the "History of Armenia" by Movses Khorenatsi, a prominent Armenian historian who lived in the 5th century AD.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Arshag can be found in the "Armenian Book of Names," a historical document dating back to the 5th century AD. This text lists several notable individuals with the name Arshag, including Arshag I, who was the first king of the Arsacid dynasty in Armenia, and Arshag II, who reigned in the 4th century AD.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Arshag. One of the most famous was Arshag Gamsaragan (1208-1268), an Armenian prince and military leader who played a crucial role in the defense of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia against the Mongol invasions of the 13th century. Another notable figure was Arshag Artsruni (850-923), an Armenian nobleman and military commander who served under the Bagratuni dynasty.
Other prominent individuals with the name Arshag include Arshag Chobanian (1872-1954), an Armenian-American writer and journalist who played a significant role in promoting Armenian culture and literature in the United States, and Arshag D. Margarian (1904-1989), an Armenian-American lawyer and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the Armenian community in the United States.
In more recent times, the name Arshag has continued to be used among Armenians, reflecting the enduring cultural significance and historical importance of this ancient name.
People
Arshag + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Arshag 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
Arshag: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Arshag?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Arshag 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 - US residents.
Is Arshag a common name?
We classify Arshag as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Arshag most popular?
The single biggest year for Arshag was 1924, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Arshag is about 0 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 Arshag in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Arshag a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Arshag in the SSA data are male. 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 Arshag still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Arshag 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 Arshag 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 people have Arshag as a first name?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.