Moisha
A Yiddish masculine name derived from the Hebrew name Moshe (Moses).
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Moisha. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Moisha today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Moisha births was 2020 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Moisha. 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 Moisha. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2020
5 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2020 SSA rank
#13,411
Tracked since 2020
Popularity
Moisha: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Moisha 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 Moisha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Geography
Where Moishas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Moisha
The name Moisha is a diminutive form of the Hebrew name Moshe, which is derived from the Hebrew verb meaning "to draw out" or "to pull out." The name is believed to have originated around the 13th century BC and is associated with the biblical figure Moses, who was given this name because he was drawn out of the water as a baby.
In the Bible, Moses is portrayed as the central figure in the Exodus narrative, leading the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and receiving the Ten Commandments from God on Mount Sinai. The name Moshe appears numerous times throughout the Torah and other ancient Jewish texts, solidifying its significance in the Jewish tradition.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Moisha was Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, also known as Maimonides, a celebrated 12th-century Jewish philosopher, astronomer, and theologian. He was born in Cordoba, Spain, in 1135 and is renowned for his influential work, "The Guide for the Perplexed."
Another notable figure was Moshe Shor, a 16th-century Jewish scholar and kabbalist from Safed, Palestine. He was a prominent figure in the development of Lurianic Kabbalah and authored several influential works on Jewish mysticism.
In the 19th century, Moshe Montefiore was a prominent British financier and philanthropist who played a significant role in supporting Jewish communities worldwide. He was born in Livorno, Italy, in 1784 and is remembered for his efforts in advocating for the rights of Jews in various countries.
Moving into the 20th century, Moshe Sharett was an Israeli politician and diplomat who served as the second Prime Minister of Israel from 1953 to 1955. He was born in Kherson, Russian Empire, in 1894 and played a pivotal role in the establishment of the State of Israel.
Another notable figure is Moshe Dayan, an Israeli military leader and politician who became a national hero during the 1967 Six-Day War. He was born in Deganya Alef, Palestine, in 1915 and is remembered for his distinctive eye patch and strategic military leadership.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the name Moisha or its variations, reflecting its deep roots in Jewish culture and tradition.
People
Moisha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Moisha 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
Moisha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Moisha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Moisha 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Moisha a common name?
We classify Moisha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Moisha most popular?
The single biggest year for Moisha was 2020, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Moisha is about 6 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 Moisha in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Moisha a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Moisha in the SSA data are male. 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 Moisha still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Moisha 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 Moisha 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 share the name Moisha?
Find out how many people share the name Moisha on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.