Marnesha
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly a blend of other names.
Name Census estimates that about 81 living Americans carry the first name Marnesha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Marnesha today is around 32 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Marnesha births was 1993 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Marnesha. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Marnesha. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
81
~ 1 in 4,231,535 Americans
Peak year
1993
8 babies that year
Average age
32
years old
2003 SSA rank
#13,334
Tracked since 1987
Popularity
Marnesha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Marnesha from the 1980s through to the 2000s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 59 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
Marnesha 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 Marnesha 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 Marnesha
The name Marnesha is a relatively modern invention, believed to have originated in the late 20th century. It does not appear to have any direct roots in ancient languages or cultures. The name seems to be a combination of the popular name "Marne" and the suffix "-sha," which is sometimes used to create feminine names.
While the precise origin and meaning of Marnesha are unclear, the name Marne itself has French origins and is derived from the Marne River in northeastern France. The Marne River played a significant role in World War I, particularly during the First Battle of the Marne in 1914, where Allied forces halted the German advance towards Paris.
However, there is no evidence to suggest that the name Marnesha has any direct connection to this historical event or the Marne River. It is more likely that the name was created by combining existing name elements to create a unique and modern name.
Due to its relatively recent emergence, there are no recorded instances of individuals named Marnesha in ancient texts, religious scriptures, or historical records from centuries past. The earliest documented examples of the name are likely to be found in modern birth records from the late 20th century onwards.
While the name Marnesha may not have a long historical lineage, it has been adopted by a number of individuals in recent times. Notable people with this first name include:
1. Marnesha Meadors, an American basketball player who played in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) in the early 2000s.
2. Marnesha Hamer, an American singer and songwriter who rose to prominence in the late 2010s with her hit single "Upgrade U."
3. Marnesha Johnson, an American activist and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, particularly known for her work in the transgender community.
4. Marnesha Gilmore, an American entrepreneur and fashion designer who founded the clothing brand "Marnesha Couture" in the early 2010s.
5. Marnesha Williams, an American author and poet who has published several collections of poetry and short stories since the late 2000s.
While the name Marnesha may not have an extensive historical background, it has gained popularity in recent decades and has been embraced by individuals from various walks of life, contributing to its evolving identity and significance.
People
Marnesha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Marnesha as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Marnesha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Marnesha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 81 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Marnesha 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 4,231,535 US residents.
Is Marnesha a common name?
We classify Marnesha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 61.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 84 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Marnesha most popular?
The single biggest year for Marnesha was 1993, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Marnesha is about 32 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 Marnesha in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Marnesha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Marnesha 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 Marnesha still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Marnesha 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 Marnesha 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 have the name Marnesha?
Find out how many people share the name Marnesha on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.