Menucha
A feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "rest", "tranquility" or "repose".
Name Census estimates that about 604 living Americans carry the first name Menucha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Menucha today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Menucha births was 2023 (33 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Menucha. 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
604
~ 1 in 567,474 Americans
Peak year
2023
33 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,374
Tracked since 1981
Popularity
Menucha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Menucha from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 222 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Menucha remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Menucha 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 Menucha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Menuchas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. New York, New Jersey, California recorded the most babies named Menucha, while California, New Jersey, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 94 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Menucha
The name Menucha originates from the Hebrew language and culture. It is a feminine form of the Hebrew word "menucha," which means "rest" or "repose." The name can be traced back to ancient times and is mentioned in various religious and historical texts.
In the Bible, the word "menucha" appears several times, often in the context of finding rest or peace. For instance, in the book of Deuteronomy, God promises the Israelites that they will find "menucha" (rest) in the Promised Land after their wanderings in the wilderness.
The earliest recorded examples of the name Menucha can be found in ancient Hebrew inscriptions and manuscripts dating back to the first millennium BCE. During this time, the name was likely given to girls as a way of expressing a wish for them to find rest and peace in their lives.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Menucha. One of the earliest examples is Menucha bat Shlomo, a Jewish scholar and poet who lived in Spain during the 12th century CE. Her works, which include religious poetry and commentary on the Bible, have been preserved and studied by scholars.
Another prominent figure was Menucha Gilboa, an Israeli author and playwright born in 1920. She wrote numerous novels, short stories, and plays that explored themes of identity, family, and the struggles of modern life in Israel. Her works were celebrated for their literary merit and social commentary.
In the realm of religion, Menucha Rochel Slonim (1798-1888) was a renowned Hasidic leader and scholar. She was the daughter of the famous Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement, and played a significant role in guiding and inspiring the Hasidic community.
Menucha Barenholz Levy (1896-1970) was a pioneering Zionist activist and educator. She was involved in the establishment of several educational institutions in pre-state Israel and worked tirelessly to promote Hebrew language and culture among the Jewish diaspora.
Finally, Menucha Peterfreund (1928-1986) was an Israeli artist and sculptor known for her abstract and symbolic works. Her sculptures, often inspired by biblical themes and Jewish mysticism, can be found in public spaces and galleries throughout Israel.
While the name Menucha has its roots in ancient Hebrew culture, it has transcended its origins and been embraced by various communities around the world, serving as a reminder of the universal desire for peace and rest.
People
Menucha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Menucha 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
Menucha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Menucha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 604 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Menucha 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 567,474 US residents.
Is Menucha a common name?
We classify Menucha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 612 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Menucha most popular?
The single biggest year for Menucha was 2023, when 33 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Menucha is about 15 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Menucha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Menucha 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.