Monesha
A feminine name of Hindu origin meaning "wish-fulfiller".
Name Census estimates that about 404 living Americans carry the first name Monesha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Monesha today is around 33 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Monesha births was 1996 (61 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Monesha. 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
404
~ 1 in 848,402 Americans
Peak year
1996
61 babies that year
Average age
33
years old
2003 SSA rank
#17,534
Tracked since 1971
Popularity
Monesha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Monesha from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 261 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Monesha 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 Monesha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Moneshas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. South Carolina, Illinois, California recorded the most babies named Monesha, while Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 7 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Monesha
The name Monesha finds its origins in the Sanskrit language, tracing back to ancient India. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "mun," which means "to think" or "to meditate," and the suffix "esha," which signifies a feminine form. Together, the name can be interpreted as "the one who contemplates" or "the thoughtful woman."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Monesha comes from the ancient Hindu text, the Mahabharata, where it was mentioned as the name of a wise and contemplative woman. This epic, dating back to around the 8th century BCE, is a testament to the name's deep-rooted connection to the Indian subcontinent's rich cultural heritage.
Throughout history, the name Monesha has been associated with individuals known for their wisdom, intellectual prowess, and spiritual inclinations. One such individual was Monesha Devi, a renowned scholar and philosopher who lived in the 12th century CE in the region of present-day Uttar Pradesh, India. She was widely respected for her contributions to the field of epistemology and her insightful writings on the nature of knowledge.
In the 16th century, the name Monesha was borne by Monesha Bai, a celebrated poetess and mystic from the Rajput kingdom of Mewar in modern-day Rajasthan, India. Her devotional compositions, known as bhajans, continue to be cherished and sung to this day, reflecting the profound spirituality associated with the name.
Another notable figure was Monesha Ghosh, a pioneering educator and social reformer who lived in the late 19th century in Bengal, India. She dedicated her life to promoting education for women and advocating for their empowerment, leaving an indelible mark on the social fabric of her time.
In more recent times, Monesha Arur was a distinguished Indian classical dancer and choreographer who lived from 1938 to 2005. She played a pivotal role in preserving and promoting the traditional Odissi dance form, earning numerous accolades for her contributions to the arts.
While the name Monesha may have evolved and taken on different nuances across cultures and regions, its essence remains rooted in the values of contemplation, wisdom, and intellectual pursuit. Throughout the ages, individuals bearing this name have left their mark on various fields, embodying the thoughtful and introspective nature that the name represents.
People
Monesha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Monesha 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
Monesha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Monesha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 404 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Monesha 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 848,402 US residents.
Is Monesha a common name?
We classify Monesha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 420 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Monesha most popular?
The single biggest year for Monesha was 1996, when 61 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Monesha is about 33 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Monesha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Monesha 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.