Hessa
A feminine Arabic name meaning "strong, powerful woman".
Name Census estimates that about 28 living Americans carry the first name Hessa. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Hessa today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hessa births was 2016 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hessa. 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 Hessa with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Hessa. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
28
~ 1 in 12,241,226 Americans
Peak year
2016
9 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#14,065
Tracked since 2012
Popularity
Hessa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Hessa from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 22 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hessa 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 Hessa during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Hessa
The name Hessa has its origins in the Arabic language, where it is derived from the word "hassa," meaning "to feel" or "to perceive." This name has been in use for centuries within the Arab world, particularly in the Middle Eastern region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hessa can be found in the writings of the renowned Arab poet and philosopher Al-Mutanabbi, who lived in the 10th century AD. He mentioned a woman named Hessa in one of his poems, praising her beauty and grace.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Hessa. One such person was Hessa bint Ahmed Al Khalifa, a prominent member of the Bahraini royal family who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She was known for her philanthropic efforts and dedication to promoting education for women in Bahrain.
Another notable Hessa was Hessa bint Salman Al Saud, a Saudi Arabian princess and member of the House of Saud, who lived from 1901 to 1969. She was renowned for her charitable work and support for various social causes in Saudi Arabia.
In the realm of literature, Hessa Al-Muhairi, an Emirati writer and poet, has made significant contributions. Born in 1959, she is known for her works that explore themes of identity, culture, and the experiences of women in the Gulf region.
Moving to the present day, Hessa Al-Jaber is a prominent Qatari businesswoman and entrepreneur. Born in 1959, she has played a crucial role in the development of the information and communication technology sector in Qatar and has been recognized for her efforts in promoting women's empowerment and leadership.
While these are just a few examples, the name Hessa has been carried by numerous individuals throughout history, each leaving their mark in various fields and contributing to the rich cultural tapestry of the Middle Eastern region.
People
Hessa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hessa as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with H
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Hessa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hessa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 28 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hessa 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 12,241,226 US residents.
Is Hessa a common name?
We classify Hessa as "Very Rare". It ranks above 45.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 28 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hessa most popular?
The single biggest year for Hessa was 2016, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hessa is about 10 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 Hessa in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Hessa a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Hessa 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 Hessa still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Hessa 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 Hessa 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 are named Hessa?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.