Mesha
A feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "messenger of hope".
Name Census estimates that about 1,114 living Americans carry the first name Mesha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Mesha today is around 40 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mesha births was 1980 (55 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mesha. 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
1.1K
~ 1 in 307,679 Americans
Peak year
1980
55 babies that year
Average age
40
years old
2018 SSA rank
#17,339
Tracked since 1963
Popularity
Mesha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Mesha from the 1960s through to the 2010s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 370 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mesha 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 Mesha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Meshas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. California, Texas, Illinois recorded the most babies named Mesha, while Georgia, Michigan, Alabama recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 19 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Mesha
The name Mesha is believed to have its origins in the ancient Hebrew language, with roots dating back to biblical times. It is derived from the Hebrew word "mŭshā," which means "to draw out" or "to save." This name was commonly found in the Middle Eastern region, particularly in Israel and surrounding areas.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Mesha can be found in the Bible, specifically in the Book of Kings. It refers to Mesha, the King of Moab, who ruled in the 9th century BC. He is known for erecting the Moabite Stone, also called the Mesha Stele, which is an important archaeological discovery that provides insights into the ancient Moabite language and culture.
In ancient Indian texts, such as the Mahabharata and the Puranas, there are references to a character named Mesha, who was a mythological figure associated with the zodiac sign Aries. This connection suggests that the name may have been used in various cultures across the region.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Mesha. One of the earliest recorded was Mesha, the King of Moab, mentioned in the Bible, who lived around 850 BC. Another notable figure was Mesha Kalyanamal, a 16th-century Indian poet and scholar from the Bhakti movement, known for his devotional works in the Braj Bhasha language.
In more recent times, Mesha Gyatsho (1689-1768) was a renowned Tibetan Buddhist teacher and the 6th Panchen Lama, one of the most influential figures in Tibetan Buddhism. Mesha Nazar Ali (1906-1978) was a Pakistani philosopher and writer who made significant contributions to Islamic thought and Urdu literature.
Mesha Murali (1949-2001) was an Indian classical dancer and choreographer, renowned for her performances in the Bharatanatyam style. She was awarded the prestigious Padma Shri, one of India's highest civilian honors, in 1992.
While the name Mesha has its roots in ancient cultures, it has continued to be used across various regions and time periods, with individuals from diverse backgrounds bearing this name and leaving their mark in various fields.
People
Mesha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mesha 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
Mesha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mesha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,114 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mesha 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 307,679 US residents.
Is Mesha a common name?
We classify Mesha as "Rare". It ranks above 90.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,187 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mesha most popular?
The single biggest year for Mesha was 1980, when 55 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mesha is about 40 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Mesha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Mesha 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.