Martesha
A feminine name possibly derived from a Native American language.
Name Census estimates that about 86 living Americans carry the first name Martesha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Martesha today is around 37 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Martesha births was 1992 (16 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Martesha. 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 Martesha. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
86
~ 1 in 3,985,516 Americans
Peak year
1992
16 babies that year
Average age
37
years old
2000 SSA rank
#14,347
Tracked since 1978
Popularity
Martesha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Martesha from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 45 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
Martesha 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 Martesha 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 Martesha
The name Martesha is believed to have its origins in the ancient Sanskrit language of India, dating back to around the 5th century BCE. It is derived from the word "martya," which means "mortal" or "human," and the suffix "-sha," which signifies "protector" or "guardian." This suggests that the name Martesha may have initially carried the meaning of "protector of humanity" or "guardian of mortals."
In Hindu mythology, there are references to a minor deity called Martesha, who was revered as the guardian of travelers and those embarking on long journeys. This deity was often invoked for protection and safe passage, and it is possible that the name Martesha gained popularity among devotees and followers of this particular deity.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Martesha can be found in ancient Sanskrit texts and inscriptions from various regions of the Indian subcontinent. One notable bearer of this name was Martesha Acharya, a renowned scholar and philosopher who lived in the 9th century CE. He authored several influential works on Hindu philosophy and theology, and his writings were widely studied across medieval India.
Another historical figure who carried the name Martesha was a powerful warrior and military commander from the 12th century CE. Martesha Rana was a loyal general in the army of the Chahamana dynasty, which ruled over parts of present-day Rajasthan and Gujarat. He was known for his bravery and strategic prowess on the battlefield, and his exploits were celebrated in various folk tales and ballads of the region.
In the 15th century, there was a notable poet and mystic named Martesha Swami, who composed several devotional works and spiritual verses in praise of various Hindu deities. His compositions were widely recited and sung in temples and religious gatherings across northern India.
Another significant bearer of the name was Martesha Devi, a powerful queen who ruled over the princely state of Jhansi in the 19th century. She played a pivotal role in the Indian Rebellion of 1857, leading her troops against the British East India Company. Her courage and determination earned her the admiration of her people, and she has since become an iconic figure in Indian history.
While the name Martesha has its roots in the ancient Sanskrit language and Hindu traditions, it has also been adopted and used by various other communities and cultures across South Asia over the centuries. However, it remains a relatively uncommon name, particularly in modern times, and its historical significance and symbolic meaning have become less widely known.
People
Martesha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Martesha 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
Martesha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Martesha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 86 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Martesha 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 3,985,516 US residents.
Is Martesha a common name?
We classify Martesha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 62.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 90 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Martesha most popular?
The single biggest year for Martesha was 1992, when 16 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Martesha is about 37 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 Martesha in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Martesha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Martesha 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 Martesha still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Martesha 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 Martesha 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 Martesha as a first name?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people share the name Martesha at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.