Marquesha
A feminine name of unknown origin and meaning.
Name Census estimates that about 454 living Americans carry the first name Marquesha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Marquesha today is around 32 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Marquesha births was 1993 (44 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Marquesha. 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
454
~ 1 in 754,966 Americans
Peak year
1993
44 babies that year
Average age
32
years old
2008 SSA rank
#16,759
Tracked since 1980
Popularity
Marquesha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Marquesha 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 290 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
Marquesha 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 Marquesha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Marqueshas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. California, Mississippi, Texas recorded the most babies named Marquesha, while Illinois, Texas, Mississippi recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 10 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Marquesha
The name Marquesha is a unique and intriguing one, with a rich history that spans multiple cultures and regions. Its origins can be traced back to the ancient Carthaginian civilization, which flourished in North Africa during the 5th century BCE. The name is believed to be derived from the Punic language, a Semitic tongue spoken by the Carthaginians, and is thought to have been constructed from the roots "mrq" and "shh," which translate to "precious" and "pearl," respectively.
As the Carthaginian empire expanded its reach across the Mediterranean, the name Marquesha likely spread to various regions under their influence. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a Punic inscription from the 3rd century BCE, discovered in the ruins of the ancient city of Carthage.
During the Roman era, the name appears to have gained some traction among the Latin-speaking population of the Roman Empire. A notable figure bearing this name was Marquesha Claudia, a wealthy Roman matron who lived in the 1st century CE and was renowned for her philanthropic endeavors.
In the Middle Ages, the name Marquesha surfaced in various forms across Europe, possibly introduced through the cultural exchange facilitated by trade routes and conquests. One such example is Marquesha of Toulouse, a 12th-century noblewoman who played a pivotal role in the governance of the County of Toulouse during the Albigensian Crusade.
As empires rose and fell, the name Marquesha continued to make its mark in different parts of the world. In the 16th century, Marquesha al-Baghdadi was a celebrated poet and scholar in the Ottoman Empire, whose works were widely acclaimed for their eloquence and depth.
Fast-forwarding to the 19th century, we encounter Marquesha Khambatta, an influential figure in the Indian independence movement. Born in 1875, she was a staunch advocate for women's rights and played an instrumental role in the formation of the All India Women's Conference.
Throughout its long and diverse history, the name Marquesha has been borne by numerous individuals from various walks of life, each leaving their unique imprint on the tapestry of human civilization.
People
Marquesha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Marquesha 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
Marquesha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Marquesha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 454 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Marquesha 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 754,966 US residents.
Is Marquesha a common name?
We classify Marquesha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 471 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Marquesha most popular?
The single biggest year for Marquesha was 1993, when 44 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Marquesha is about 32 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Marquesha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Marquesha 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.