Arusha
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "full of life" or "alive".
Name Census estimates that about 15 living Americans carry the first name Arusha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Arusha today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Arusha births was 2011 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Arusha. 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 Arusha with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Arusha. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
15
~ 1 in 22,850,289 Americans
Peak year
2011
5 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2019 SSA rank
#15,807
Tracked since 2011
Popularity
Arusha: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Arusha 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 Arusha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 0 | 15 | 15 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Arusha
The name Arusha is believed to have its origins in the Maasai language, spoken by the Maasai people of Kenya and Tanzania. The Maasai are a semi-nomadic ethnic group known for their distinctive cultural traditions and their deep connection to the lands they inhabit.
Arusha is derived from the word "Arusha-Juu," which in the Maasai language means "the place of fire" or "the place of burning." This name is closely tied to the geographical location of Arusha, a city in northern Tanzania situated near the base of Mount Meru, an active volcano. The region's volcanic activity and the presence of hot springs may have influenced the name's association with fire or burning.
The name Arusha has been documented in various historical records and texts related to the Maasai culture and their interactions with other communities in the region. However, it is difficult to pinpoint the exact earliest usage of the name, as written records of the Maasai language and naming traditions are relatively scarce.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Arusha was a Maasai chief who lived in the late 19th century. Chief Arusha was a prominent leader known for his role in negotiating land treaties with the colonial authorities of the time. His name became associated with the city of Arusha, which served as an important trading hub and administrative center during the colonial era.
Another notable figure with the name Arusha was Arusha Lemomo, a Maasai warrior and leader who lived in the early 20th century. Lemomo was known for his bravery and his efforts to preserve the Maasai way of life in the face of encroaching colonialism and societal changes.
In more recent history, Arusha Mollel, a Tanzanian politician and activist, has played a significant role in advocating for the rights of indigenous communities and promoting sustainable development initiatives in the Arusha region.
Beyond the Maasai context, the name Arusha has also been adopted by individuals from various cultural backgrounds, particularly in East Africa. For example, Arusha Cooray was a Sri Lankan-born Tanzanian politician and diplomat who served as the first female Cabinet Minister in Tanzania after the country gained independence.
Arusha Cooray's name serves as a reminder of the cultural exchange and integration that has occurred in the region, as people from different backgrounds have embraced and adapted names from local languages and traditions.
People
Arusha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Arusha 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
Arusha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Arusha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 15 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Arusha 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 22,850,289 US residents.
Is Arusha a common name?
We classify Arusha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 35.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 15 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Arusha most popular?
The single biggest year for Arusha was 2011, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Arusha is about 12 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 Arusha in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Arusha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Arusha 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 Arusha still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Arusha 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 Arusha 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 share the name Arusha?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.