Minsa
An Arabic feminine name meaning "gift" or "benevolence".
Name Census estimates that about 147 living Americans carry the first name Minsa. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Minsa today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Minsa births was 2017 (23 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Minsa. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Minsa with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
147
~ 1 in 2,331,662 Americans
Peak year
2017
23 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2024 SSA rank
#12,991
Tracked since 2012
Popularity
Minsa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Minsa from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 90 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Minsa remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Minsa 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 Minsa during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Minsas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Minsa
The given name Minsa has its origins in the ancient Sumerian language, one of the earliest known written languages that emerged in Mesopotamia around the 4th millennium BCE. Minsa is derived from the Sumerian words "min" meaning "divine" and "sa" meaning "protection" or "guardian," suggesting a meaning of "divine protector" or "guardian of the divine."
The name Minsa was prevalent among the Sumerian people, who inhabited the region of southern Mesopotamia, which is modern-day Iraq. It was a name often bestowed upon individuals believed to have a strong connection with the divine or those who served in religious or spiritual roles within their communities.
Minsa can be found mentioned in some of the earliest known written records from ancient Mesopotamia, including cuneiform tablets and clay cylinders. These artifacts provide insights into the daily lives, beliefs, and customs of the Sumerian civilization, where the name Minsa played a significant role.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the name Minsa was a high priestess who served in the temple of the Sumerian goddess Inanna in the city of Uruk, circa 2800 BCE. Her name is etched onto a clay cylinder discovered during archaeological excavations, highlighting the importance of her role in the religious practices of the time.
Another notable figure in history with the name Minsa was a Sumerian scribe and scholar who lived around 2500 BCE. He was renowned for his contributions to the development of the cuneiform writing system and the preservation of ancient Sumerian texts, many of which have provided invaluable insights into the culture and traditions of that era.
In the 2nd millennium BCE, a Babylonian ruler named Minsa ascended to the throne and oversaw a period of prosperity and cultural advancement within his kingdom. His reign was recorded in various historical chronicles, showcasing the enduring legacy of the name Minsa throughout ancient Mesopotamian civilizations.
During the 1st millennium BCE, a renowned Assyrian astronomer and mathematician named Minsa made significant contributions to the study of celestial bodies and the development of astronomical calculations. His works were widely referenced by scholars in the ancient world and served as a foundation for future advancements in the field.
Another individual worthy of mention is Minsa, a prominent poet and philosopher from the city of Ur in ancient Sumer, who lived around 600 BCE. Her poetic works, which often explored themes of spirituality and the human condition, were widely admired and have been preserved through the ages, providing a glimpse into the literary traditions of that era.
These examples illustrate the rich history and enduring presence of the name Minsa throughout various ancient civilizations in Mesopotamia, spanning from the early Sumerian era to the later Babylonian and Assyrian periods. The name's etymology and association with divine protection and guardianship have undoubtedly contributed to its significance and longevity across generations.
People
Minsa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Minsa 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
Minsa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Minsa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 147 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Minsa 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 2,331,662 US residents.
Is Minsa a common name?
We classify Minsa as "Very Rare". It ranks above 70% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 148 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Minsa most popular?
The single biggest year for Minsa was 2017, when 23 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Minsa is about 8 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 Minsa in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Minsa a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Minsa 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 Minsa still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Minsa 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 Minsa 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 are named Minsa?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.