Lashara
A feminine name of African American origin meaning "beautiful soul".
Name Census estimates that about 339 living Americans carry the first name Lashara. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Lashara today is around 39 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lashara births was 1988 (26 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lashara. 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
339
~ 1 in 1,011,075 Americans
Peak year
1988
26 babies that year
Average age
39
years old
2005 SSA rank
#18,012
Tracked since 1972
Popularity
Lashara: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lashara from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 166 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lashara 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 Lashara during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Lasharas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Lashara
The name Lashara is believed to have its origins in the ancient Sanskrit language of India, dating back to around the 3rd century BCE. It is derived from the Sanskrit words "lasya," meaning grace or charm, and "hara," meaning to remove or take away. The combination of these words suggests that the name Lashara may have been given to individuals who were perceived as having the ability to captivate and enchant others, or perhaps to dispel negative energies.
While the name Lashara does not appear to have any direct references in ancient Hindu scriptures or texts, its roots in Sanskrit suggest that it may have been used in certain regions of the Indian subcontinent during the time when Sanskrit was a prominent language. However, records of the name's usage during this early period are scarce.
The earliest recorded examples of the name Lashara can be traced back to the 12th century CE, when it was occasionally used by members of the Rajput warrior clans in what is now the state of Rajasthan in northwestern India. One notable figure from this period was Lashara Devi, a Rajput queen who ruled over the small kingdom of Dholpur from 1196 to 1214 CE.
In the 16th century, a Persian poet and mystic named Lashara Qadiri gained recognition for his spiritual writings and teachings, which were influenced by Sufism. He was born in the city of Isfahan in modern-day Iran in 1501 and passed away in 1572.
During the 19th century, Lashara Begum was a renowned courtesan and dancer in the court of the Nizam of Hyderabad, a princely state in southern India. She was celebrated for her beauty, grace, and mastery of classical Indian dance forms, and her name became synonymous with artistic excellence.
In more recent times, Lashara Jayasuriya was a Sri Lankan actress and singer who rose to prominence in the 1960s and 1970s. She was born in 1942 and appeared in numerous Sinhala-language films, often portraying strong and independent female characters.
Another notable figure with the name Lashara was Lashara Joshi, an Indian classical dancer and choreographer who was born in 1948 and made significant contributions to the preservation and promotion of traditional Indian dance forms, particularly Kathak.
While the name Lashara is not as common in modern times as it may have been in earlier periods, its rich cultural heritage and associations with grace, charm, and artistic expression make it a unique and evocative choice for those who appreciate its historical significance.
People
Lashara + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lashara as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Lashara: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lashara?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 339 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lashara 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 1,011,075 US residents.
Is Lashara a common name?
We classify Lashara as "Very Rare". It ranks above 80.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 358 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lashara most popular?
The single biggest year for Lashara was 1988, when 26 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lashara is about 39 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Lashara a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lashara 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.