Basha
A Persian name meaning "leader" or "commander".
Name Census estimates that about 173 living Americans carry the first name Basha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Basha today is around 27 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Basha births was 2000 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Basha. 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
173
~ 1 in 1,981,239 Americans
Peak year
2000
11 babies that year
Average age
27
years old
2024 SSA rank
#15,608
Tracked since 1970
Popularity
Basha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Basha from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 64 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Basha 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 Basha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Bashas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Basha
The name Basha is believed to have its origins in the Arabic language, with roots tracing back to the Middle East and North Africa. It is derived from the word "basha," which was a historical title used to refer to a high-ranking military or administrative officer in the Ottoman Empire.
During the height of the Ottoman Empire, which spanned from the 14th to the early 20th century, the title of "basha" was bestowed upon individuals who held significant positions of power and influence. These individuals were often governors, military commanders, or high-ranking officials in charge of important provinces or regions.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Basha can be found in historical accounts and records from the Ottoman era. Lala Mustafa Pasha, who lived from 1500 to 1580, was a prominent Ottoman statesman and military commander who served as the Grand Vizier, the highest-ranking political advisor to the Sultan.
Another notable figure bearing the name Basha was Mehmed Pasha Sokolović, who lived from 1506 to 1579. He was a Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire and is renowned for his significant contributions to the empire's architectural heritage, including the construction of several iconic bridges and mosques.
In the realm of literature, the name Basha found its way into the works of renowned authors. One such example is the character of Basha Mustapha in the play "The Renegado" by Philip Massinger, an English dramatist who lived from 1583 to 1640.
Moving forward in history, the name Basha resurfaced in the form of Ali Pasha of Ioannina, a prominent Albanian ruler and Ottoman governor who lived from 1741 to 1822. He played a pivotal role in the Greek War of Independence and is remembered for his military prowess and strategic acumen.
In more recent times, the name Basha has been carried by individuals from various backgrounds and cultures. Basha Sardewa, an Indonesian film actress and model, was born in 1986 and has gained recognition for her work in the entertainment industry.
It is worth noting that while the name Basha has its roots in the Arabic language and the historical context of the Ottoman Empire, it has transcended cultural boundaries and been embraced by diverse communities around the world, each imbuing it with their own unique cultural significance.
People
Basha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Basha as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Basha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Basha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 173 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Basha 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 1,981,239 US residents.
Is Basha a common name?
We classify Basha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 72.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 179 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Basha most popular?
The single biggest year for Basha was 2000, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Basha is about 27 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Basha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Basha 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.