Sheza
An Arabic feminine name meaning "shooting star" or "wandering one".
Name Census estimates that about 154 living Americans carry the first name Sheza. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Sheza today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sheza births was 2009 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sheza. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Sheza with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
154
~ 1 in 2,225,678 Americans
Peak year
2009
19 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2017 SSA rank
#13,895
Tracked since 2004
Popularity
Sheza: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sheza from the 2000s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 95 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sheza 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 Sheza during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Shezas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Sheza
The name Sheza has its origins in the ancient Sanskrit language of India, dating back to around the 5th century BCE. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "shrestha," which means "excellent" or "superior." The name was initially used to refer to individuals who were considered to be of high social status or achievement.
In ancient Hindu texts, the name Sheza is mentioned as a title bestowed upon warriors and scholars who had attained great accomplishments. The earliest recorded examples of the name can be found in the Vedas, the sacred Hindu scriptures, where it was used to describe individuals of exceptional wisdom and bravery.
One of the most notable historical figures with the name Sheza was a renowned philosopher and scholar from the 3rd century BCE. Sheza the Wise, as he was known, was a prominent figure in the court of the Mauryan Empire and is credited with several influential works on ethics, logic, and metaphysics.
In the 7th century CE, a powerful ruler named Sheza the Great rose to prominence in the kingdom of Kanauj, located in present-day Uttar Pradesh, India. He was renowned for his military conquests and for patronizing the arts and literature during his reign.
Another prominent figure with the name Sheza was a 12th-century mystic and poet from the Sufi tradition of Islam. Sheza al-Din, as he was known, authored numerous devotional poems and spiritual texts that continue to be studied and revered by Sufis to this day.
In the 16th century, a famous artist and calligrapher named Sheza Mir emerged from the court of the Mughal Empire. His intricate calligraphic works adorned the walls of many famous monuments, including the Taj Mahal, and he was celebrated for his mastery of the art form.
Sheza Khanum, a prominent female poet and writer from the 18th century, was another notable figure who bore this name. She was a member of the royal court of the Nizam of Hyderabad and was highly regarded for her literary contributions, which explored themes of love, spirituality, and the human condition.
Throughout its long history, the name Sheza has been associated with individuals of great accomplishment, wisdom, and cultural significance, reflecting its roots in the Sanskrit word for "excellent" or "superior." While its popularity may have waxed and waned over the centuries, the name continues to carry a sense of distinction and respect.
People
Sheza + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sheza as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Sheza: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sheza?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 154 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sheza 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 2,225,678 US residents.
Is Sheza a common name?
We classify Sheza as "Very Rare". It ranks above 70.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 156 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sheza most popular?
The single biggest year for Sheza was 2009, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sheza is about 15 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 Sheza in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Sheza a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sheza 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 Sheza still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Sheza 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 Sheza 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 are called Sheza?
You can see how many Americans are named Sheza on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.