Marshay
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly from the French word "marche" meaning "march".
Name Census estimates that about 747 living Americans carry the first name Marshay. It is a predominantly female name (99.4% of registrations). The average person named Marshay today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Marshay births was 1992 (44 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Marshay. 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
747
~ 1 in 458,841 Americans
Peak year
1992
44 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
1987 SSA rank
#7,718
Tracked since 1975
Gender
Gender distribution for Marshay
Out of the 770 babies given the name Marshay since 1880, 99.4% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Marshay as a male name
- Ranked #7,718 in 1987
- 5 male births in 1987
- Peak: 1987 (5 births)
Marshay as a female name
- Ranked #13,093 in 2022
- 7 female births in 2022
- Peak: 1992 (44 births)
Popularity
Marshay: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Marshay 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 307 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
Marshay 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 Marshay during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Marshays live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. Illinois, Ohio, California recorded the most babies named Marshay, while Florida, New York, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 23 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Marshay
The given name Marshay has its roots in the ancient Sumerian language, which flourished in the region of Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) around 3500 BCE. The name is believed to be derived from the Sumerian words "mar" meaning "son" and "shay" meaning "wise". Thus, the name Marshay could be interpreted as "wise son" or "son of wisdom".
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Marshay dates back to around 2500 BCE, where it was found inscribed on a clay tablet discovered in the ruins of the ancient city of Uruk. This tablet appears to be a record of births and names within the city, suggesting that the name was in use during this time period.
In ancient Sumerian mythology, there is a reference to a minor deity named Marshay, who was associated with wisdom and knowledge. This deity was often depicted as a wise old man, further reinforcing the connection between the name and the concept of wisdom.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Marshay. One of the earliest was Marshay of Ur (c. 2100 BCE), a renowned scholar and astronomer from the city of Ur in ancient Mesopotamia. His contributions to the study of celestial bodies and the development of the lunisolar calendar were significant.
Another prominent figure was Marshay the Scribe (c. 1500 BCE), who was a high-ranking official and keeper of records in the court of the Egyptian Pharaoh Amenhotep III. His meticulous documentation of events and transactions during this period has provided valuable insights into the lives of ancient Egyptians.
During the Renaissance period, Marshay of Florence (1412-1492) was an Italian humanist and philosopher known for his work in reviving the study of ancient Greek and Roman texts. His translations and commentaries on classical works played a crucial role in the spread of knowledge during this intellectual revival.
In more recent times, Marshay Khambatta (1932-2009) was an Indian actress and model who gained international recognition for her role in the science fiction film "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" in 1979. She was the first Indian actress to achieve mainstream success in Hollywood.
Lastly, Marshay Baynes (1974-present) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the WNBA for several teams, including the Los Angeles Sparks and the Sacramento Monarchs. She was known for her tenacious defense and was a key contributor to the Monarchs' WNBA championship win in 2005.
People
Marshay + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Marshay 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
Marshay: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Marshay?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 747 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Marshay 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 458,841 US residents.
Is Marshay a common name?
We classify Marshay as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 770 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Marshay most popular?
The single biggest year for Marshay was 1992, when 44 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Marshay is about 29 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Marshay a female name?
Yes, 99.4% of people registered as Marshay 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.