Marshae
A feminine name of uncertain origin, potentially a combination of "marsh" and "shae".
Name Census estimates that about 567 living Americans carry the first name Marshae. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Marshae today is around 28 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Marshae births was 1993 (34 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Marshae. 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
567
~ 1 in 604,505 Americans
Peak year
1993
34 babies that year
Average age
28
years old
2021 SSA rank
#14,629
Tracked since 1971
Census
Marshae in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 506 people with the first name Marshae, which placed it at #20,423 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#20,423
National first-name rank
People counted
506
506 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.2
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
92.7% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Marshae
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Marshae is Black at 92.7%. The next largest groups are White (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Marshae described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Marshae at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American92.7% · 469
- White3.0% · 15
- Two or more races2.6% · 13
- Hispanic or Latino1.4% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 2
Popularity
Marshae: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Marshae from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 273 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
Marshae 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 Marshae during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Marshaes live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. Illinois, Ohio, California recorded the most babies named Marshae, while Texas, Missouri, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 9 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Marshae
The given name Marshae has its origins in the ancient African language of Wolof, spoken primarily in Senegal and parts of Gambia. The name traces back to the 7th century AD and is believed to be derived from the Wolof word "maaru," which means "beautiful" or "radiant." This linguistic connection suggests that Marshae was initially bestowed upon children as a reflection of their perceived beauty and grace.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Marshae can be found in the oral histories and storytelling traditions of the Wolof people. These ancient tales often featured characters bearing names that celebrated physical or spiritual qualities, reflecting the cultural values and beliefs of the time.
As the Wolof language and its associated naming traditions spread across West Africa through trade and cultural exchange, the name Marshae gained recognition and use in neighboring regions. However, it remained relatively obscure outside of the African continent until the 20th century.
One of the earliest documented individuals to bear the name Marshae was a renowned Wolof artist and storyteller who lived in the late 14th century. Her intricate textile designs and captivating tales earned her widespread acclaim, and her name became synonymous with artistic excellence and cultural preservation.
In the 16th century, a Wolof scholar and diplomat named Marshae played a pivotal role in facilitating trade agreements and fostering diplomatic relations between the Wolof kingdoms and neighboring empires. Her diplomatic skills and deep cultural knowledge earned her respect and admiration throughout the region.
The 18th century saw the rise of Marshae, a powerful and influential queen of a Wolof kingdom. Her reign was marked by prosperity, peace, and a commitment to preserving the cultural heritage of her people. She is celebrated in many Wolof oral traditions as a symbol of strength and leadership.
As the African diaspora spread across the globe, the name Marshae found its way to new continents and cultures. In the late 19th century, a prominent African-American educator and activist named Marshae dedicated her life to advocating for equal educational opportunities and civil rights. Her tireless efforts and unwavering commitment left a lasting impact on the communities she served.
In the 20th century, a renowned Senegalese writer and poet named Marshae gained international acclaim for her poignant works that explored themes of identity, culture, and the human experience. Her literary contributions have been widely celebrated and have inspired generations of writers and artists.
While the name Marshae has gained wider recognition and popularity in recent decades, its roots remain firmly grounded in the rich cultural tapestry of the Wolof people and their ancestral homeland in West Africa.
People
Marshae + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Marshae 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
Marshae: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Marshae?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 567 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Marshae 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 604,505 US residents.
Is Marshae a common name?
We classify Marshae as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 584 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Marshae most popular?
The single biggest year for Marshae was 1993, when 34 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Marshae is about 28 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Marshae in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 506 people with the name Marshae, or 0.17 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #20,423 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Marshae in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Marshae?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Marshae leans strongly female. 481 people counted with this name were female (94.1%), compared with 30 male bearers (5.9%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Marshae?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Marshae is Black at 92.7%. The next largest groups are White (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Marshae most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Marshae in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (469 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Marshae in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Marshae a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Marshae 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 Marshae still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Marshae 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 Marshae 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.
How many people are called Marshae?
Find out how many Americans are named Marshae on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.