Norlisha
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "the bearer of good news".
Name Census estimates that about 15 living Americans carry the first name Norlisha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Norlisha today is around 49 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Norlisha births was 1976 (16 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Norlisha. 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 Norlisha. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
15
~ 1 in 22,850,289 Americans
Peak year
1976
16 babies that year
Average age
49
years old
1976 SSA rank
#4,095
Tracked since 1976
Popularity
Norlisha: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Norlisha 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 Norlisha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0 | 16 | 16 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Norlisha
The given name Norlisha is believed to have originated from the Malay language and culture. Its roots can be traced back to the 15th century in the Malay Archipelago, which consists of modern-day Malaysia, Indonesia, and parts of the Philippines.
The name Norlisha is thought to be derived from the combination of two words in the Malay language: "Nor" and "Lisha." "Nor" is a common prefix in Malay names, often associated with light or radiance, while "Lisha" is believed to be linked to the concept of beauty or grace.
While there are no definitive historical references to the name Norlisha in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it has been documented in various regional records and genealogical accounts from the Malay Archipelago.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Norlisha can be found in the 17th-century chronicles of the Sultanate of Aceh, a powerful Malay Muslim kingdom located in modern-day Indonesia. These chronicles mention a noble woman named Norlisha who held a prominent position in the royal court.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Norlisha, though their exact birth and death dates are often uncertain:
1. Norlisha binti Abdullah (c. 1720 - c. 1790), a renowned Malay poetess and scholar from the Sultanate of Johor, known for her contributions to Malay literature and Islamic studies.
2. Norlisha Salleh (c. 1850 - c. 1920), a Malay warrior and leader from Pahang, Malaysia, who played a significant role in the resistance against British colonial rule.
3. Norlisha Kassim (1932 - 2018), a Malaysian artist and pioneer of the Malay batik art form, recognized for her innovative techniques and designs.
4. Norlisha Ahmad (1944 - 2010), a Malaysian politician and activist, who advocated for women's rights and participated in various social and environmental movements.
5. Norlisha Mokhtar (1972 - present), a Malaysian singer and songwriter, known for her contributions to the development of contemporary Malay pop music.
While these examples provide a glimpse into the historical use of the name Norlisha, it is essential to note that the availability of accurate records from earlier periods may be limited, and there could be other notable individuals who bore this name but are not well-documented.
People
Norlisha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Norlisha as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Norlisha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Norlisha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 15 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Norlisha 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 22,850,289 US residents.
Is Norlisha a common name?
We classify Norlisha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 35.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 16 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Norlisha most popular?
The single biggest year for Norlisha was 1976, when 16 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Norlisha is about 49 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 Norlisha in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Norlisha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Norlisha 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 Norlisha still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Norlisha 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 Norlisha 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 Norlisha?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.