Simcha
A feminine Hebrew name meaning "joy" or "happiness".
Name Census estimates that about 2,093 living Americans carry the first name Simcha. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 89.6% of registrations being male. The average person named Simcha today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Simcha births was 2019 (86 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Simcha. 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
2.1K
~ 1 in 163,762 Americans
Peak year
2019
86 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,050
Tracked since 1956
Gender
Gender distribution for Simcha
Simcha leans heavily male at 89.6% of total registrations, but 222 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Simcha as a male name
- Ranked #2,050 in 2024
- 74 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2019 (86 births)
Simcha as a female name
- Ranked #17,261 in 2023
- 5 female births in 2023
- Peak: 2002 (12 births)
Popularity
Simcha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Simcha 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 650 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Simcha remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Simcha 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 Simcha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Simchas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Simcha
The name Simcha is a Hebrew name derived from the Hebrew word "simchah," meaning "joy" or "gladness." It has its roots in ancient Semitic languages and can be traced back to biblical times.
The earliest known reference to the name Simcha can be found in the Hebrew Bible, specifically in the Book of Esther, where it is mentioned as the name of one of the seven eunuchs who served King Ahasuerus. This suggests that the name was in use during the Persian period, around the 5th century BCE.
In Jewish tradition, Simcha is often associated with the concept of rejoicing and celebrating, particularly during religious festivals and joyous occasions. It has been a popular name among Jewish communities for centuries, reflecting the cultural and spiritual significance of joy and happiness in their faith.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Simcha was Simcha ben Samuel of Vitry, a renowned French Talmudic scholar who lived in the 12th century. He is best known for his work on the Tosafot, a critical commentary on the Talmud.
Another notable figure with the name Simcha was Simcha Bunim of Peshischa, a prominent Hasidic rabbi and leader who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He was known for his teachings on spiritual joy and inner peace, which influenced many within the Hasidic movement.
In the 20th century, the name Simcha gained recognition through individuals like Simcha Jacobovici, a Canadian-Israeli filmmaker and author, who is known for his works exploring the historical roots of Judaism and Christianity.
Simcha Whitehill, an American music producer and songwriter, has also contributed to the popularity of the name in recent decades, working with various artists across different genres.
Additionally, Simcha Rotem, an Israeli politician and member of the Knesset (Israeli parliament), has carried the name in the political sphere, serving as a member of several Israeli governments in the late 20th century.
While the name Simcha has its origins in the Hebrew language and Jewish tradition, it has transcended cultural boundaries and has been adopted by individuals from various backgrounds, reflecting the universal appeal of joy and happiness.
People
Simcha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Simcha 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
Simcha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Simcha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,093 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Simcha 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 163,762 US residents.
Is Simcha a common name?
We classify Simcha as "Rare". It ranks above 93.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,137 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Simcha most popular?
The single biggest year for Simcha was 2019, when 86 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Simcha is about 20 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Simcha a male name?
Yes, 89.6% of people registered as Simcha in the SSA data are male. 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.