Meshia
A feminine name of possible African origin with unknown meaning.
Name Census estimates that about 202 living Americans carry the first name Meshia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Meshia today is around 41 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Meshia births was 1980 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Meshia. 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
202
~ 1 in 1,696,804 Americans
Peak year
1980
15 babies that year
Average age
41
years old
1999 SSA rank
#10,052
Tracked since 1968
Popularity
Meshia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Meshia from the 1960s through to the 1990s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 88 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Meshia 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 Meshia 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 Meshia
The name Meshia has its origins in the ancient Hebrew language, tracing back to the biblical era. It is a variant of the Hebrew name Mesha, which was derived from the root word "msh," meaning "to draw out" or "to rescue."
In the Old Testament, there is a reference to a Moabite king named Mesha, who reigned in the 9th century BC. The Mesha Stele, an ancient inscribed stone, is an important archaeological find that mentions this king and provides insights into the history of the region.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Meshia can be found in ancient Hebrew texts and inscriptions from the biblical period. However, it was not a commonly used name during that time.
One notable figure in history who bore the name Meshia was Meshia Nahman, a prominent Jewish scholar and philosopher from the 10th century CE. He was born in the city of Kairuan, Tunisia, and is known for his contributions to Jewish philosophy and theology.
Another historical figure named Meshia was Meshia ben Elijah, a Jewish scholar from the 13th century who lived in Spain. He was renowned for his expertise in Jewish law and authored several works on the subject.
In the 16th century, there was a Jewish philosopher and scholar named Meshia Delacruz, who lived in Spain during the time of the Inquisition. He is known for his writings on Jewish mysticism and his defense of Jewish traditions in the face of persecution.
During the 17th century, a Jewish author and poet named Meshia ben Joseph Halevi lived in Italy. He wrote several works of poetry and religious literature that were widely read and influential in his time.
In more recent history, there was a notable figure named Meshia Felthausen, a German-born artist and sculptor who lived in the late 19th century. He was known for his intricate wood carvings and sculptures depicting biblical scenes and themes.
While the name Meshia has its roots in ancient Hebrew and Jewish culture, it has been used across various communities and regions throughout history, albeit with varying degrees of popularity.
People
Meshia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Meshia 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
Meshia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Meshia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 202 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Meshia 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 1,696,804 US residents.
Is Meshia a common name?
We classify Meshia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 74.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 216 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Meshia most popular?
The single biggest year for Meshia was 1980, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Meshia is about 41 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Meshia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Meshia 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.