Rashay
An Arabic feminine name meaning "beautiful, serene, or delicate".
Name Census estimates that about 153 living Americans carry the first name Rashay. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Rashay today is around 31 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rashay births was 1996 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rashay. 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
153
~ 1 in 2,240,224 Americans
Peak year
1996
19 babies that year
Average age
31
years old
2012 SSA rank
#14,658
Tracked since 1980
Popularity
Rashay: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rashay from the 1980s through to the 2010s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 94 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
Rashay 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 Rashay 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 Rashay
The name Rashay finds its origins in the Arabic language and culture. It is a variation of the Arabic name Rasha, which means "wise" or "judicious." The name can be traced back to the 7th century AD, when Arabic was rapidly spreading across the Middle East and North Africa.
In its earliest form, the name was likely spelled as Rasha or Rashad. Over time, variations like Rashay emerged, particularly as the name spread to other regions and cultures. The name's roots can be linked to the Arabic word "rashada," which means "to be guided" or "to follow the right path."
Historical references to the name Rashay are limited, as it was primarily used within Arabic-speaking communities. However, there are records of individuals bearing variations of the name in ancient Islamic texts and historical chronicles from the medieval period.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Rashay was a 9th-century Islamic scholar and jurist, Abu Rashay al-Qayrawani (born around 818 AD, died 892 AD). He was a renowned expert in Maliki jurisprudence and authored several influential works on Islamic law.
Another notable figure was Rashay al-Din Sinan (born around 1135 AD, died 1192 AD), a Persian Ismaili missionary and leader of the Nizari Ismaili state. He was known for his strategic and military prowess, as well as his role in establishing the legendary order of the Assassins.
In the realm of poetry, Rashay al-Din Vatvat (born around 1160 AD, died 1237 AD) was a celebrated Persian poet and mystic. His works, written in both Persian and Arabic, explored themes of love, spirituality, and Sufism.
During the Ottoman Empire, Rashay Pasha (born around 1500 AD, died 1556 AD) was a prominent military commander and statesman. He served as the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire and played a crucial role in the conquest of Baghdad in 1534.
In more recent times, Rashay Ali (born 1906, died 1982) was an Indian politician and statesman who served as the Governor of Uttar Pradesh and later as the Governor of Andhra Pradesh.
While these are just a few examples, the name Rashay has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout history, reflecting its rich cultural heritage and significance within the Arabic-speaking world.
People
Rashay + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rashay as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Rashay: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rashay?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 153 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rashay 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 2,240,224 US residents.
Is Rashay a common name?
We classify Rashay as "Very Rare". It ranks above 70.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 158 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rashay most popular?
The single biggest year for Rashay was 1996, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rashay is about 31 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rashay a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rashay 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.