Kersha
A feminine name likely derived from the Persian word "kersha" meaning "graceful".
Name Census estimates that about 28 living Americans carry the first name Kersha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kersha today is around 49 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kersha births was 1974 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kersha. 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 Kersha with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Kersha. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
28
~ 1 in 12,241,226 Americans
Peak year
1974
7 babies that year
Average age
49
years old
1989 SSA rank
#11,553
Tracked since 1974
Popularity
Kersha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kersha from the 1970s through to the 1980s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 25 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kersha 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 Kersha 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 Kersha
The name Kersha is believed to have originated from the Sanskrit language, which is an ancient Indo-Aryan language that dates back to the 2nd millennium BCE. It is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word "Krisha," which means "dark" or "black." This name was likely given to individuals with a darker complexion or hair color in the Indian subcontinent during ancient times.
One of the earliest known references to the name Kersha can be found in the ancient Hindu scriptures, the Vedas, which were composed between 1500-500 BCE. In these sacred texts, there are mentions of individuals with names similar to Kersha, such as Krishnā and Krishnāyana, which are believed to be variations of the same root word.
The earliest recorded example of the name Kersha dates back to the 6th century CE, where it is mentioned in the Gupta Empire inscriptions found in northern India. During this time, a notable figure named Kersha was a renowned scholar and poet who contributed to the development of Sanskrit literature.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Kersha. One of the most famous was Kersha Rani (1528-1594), a powerful queen who ruled the kingdom of Mewar in present-day Rajasthan, India. She was known for her bravery and played a crucial role in defending her kingdom against the Mughal Empire.
Another notable figure with the name Kersha was Kersha Chandra Bhattacharya (1838-1914), a prominent Indian philosopher and social reformer who advocated for the rights of women and the abolition of the caste system.
In the field of literature, Kersha Saraswati (1550-1625) was a renowned Sanskrit poet and scholar from the Indian state of Karnataka. Her works, which explored themes of love, devotion, and spirituality, were widely celebrated during her lifetime and continue to be studied today.
Kersha Nath Tewari (1887-1960) was an Indian freedom fighter and politician who played an active role in the struggle for independence from British rule. He served as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and was also a member of the Constituent Assembly of India.
Finally, Kersha Kumari Bahadur (1924-2009) was a renowned Indian classical dancer and choreographer who helped popularize the Odissi dance form on a global scale. She received numerous honors, including the prestigious Padma Bhushan, one of India's highest civilian awards.
People
Kersha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kersha as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Kersha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kersha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 28 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kersha 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 Kersha a common name?
We classify Kersha 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, 31 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kersha most popular?
The single biggest year for Kersha was 1974, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kersha is about 49 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 Kersha in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kersha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kersha 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 Kersha still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kersha 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 Kersha 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 Kersha?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.