Risha
A feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "ray of light".
Name Census estimates that about 905 living Americans carry the first name Risha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Risha today is around 27 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Risha births was 1979 (56 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Risha. 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
905
~ 1 in 378,734 Americans
Peak year
1979
56 babies that year
Average age
27
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,326
Tracked since 1954
Popularity
Risha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Risha from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 251 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Risha remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Risha 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 Risha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Rishas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. California, New York, New Jersey recorded the most babies named Risha, while Texas, Florida, New Jersey recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 25 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Risha
The given name Risha has its origins in the Sanskrit language, which was the classical language of the Indian subcontinent and is one of the oldest Indo-European languages. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "Rishi," which means a sage, seer, or enlightened being.
In ancient Hindu texts and scriptures, Rishis were revered as spiritual guides who had attained a high level of wisdom and enlightenment through their spiritual practices and teachings. They were considered to be the authors of the Vedas, the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism, and played a crucial role in shaping the religious and philosophical traditions of the region.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Risha can be traced back to ancient Hindu texts and mythological stories, where it was often used to refer to individuals who possessed exceptional spiritual qualities or had attained a high level of enlightenment.
One of the earliest and most notable figures in history to bear the name Risha was Rishi Valmiki, the renowned sage who is credited with writing the epic Sanskrit poem, the Ramayana. Valmiki is believed to have lived around the 5th century BCE and is considered one of the most influential figures in Hindu literature and mythology.
Another prominent historical figure with the name Risha was Rishi Vishvamitra, who was a celebrated sage and teacher in ancient Indian mythology. Vishvamitra was renowned for his spiritual pursuits and is said to have composed many hymns that are included in the Rigveda, one of the oldest and most sacred Hindu texts.
In the 6th century CE, there was a Buddhist scholar and monk named Risha Sukhavati, who is known for his contributions to the development of Mahayana Buddhism in China. He was responsible for translating several important Buddhist texts from Sanskrit into Chinese, making them accessible to a wider audience.
During the medieval period, Risha Chaitanya, a renowned Hindu mystic and saint, played a significant role in the Bhakti movement, which emphasized devotional worship and personal devotion to the divine. Chaitanya, who lived in the 15th-16th century CE, is revered as an incarnation of Lord Krishna and his teachings had a profound influence on the spiritual and cultural landscape of Bengal and other parts of India.
In more recent history, Risha Hiroko was a Japanese writer and poet who lived in the 20th century. Born in 1903, she gained recognition for her poetic works that explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition. Her literary contributions have left a lasting impact on Japanese literature and have inspired generations of writers and poets.
People
Risha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Risha 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
Risha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Risha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 905 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Risha 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 378,734 US residents.
Is Risha a common name?
We classify Risha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 946 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Risha most popular?
The single biggest year for Risha was 1979, when 56 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Risha is about 27 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Risha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Risha 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.