Tarsha
A feminine name of uncertain origin, potentially derived from Sanskrit.
Name Census estimates that about 2,142 living Americans carry the first name Tarsha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Tarsha today is around 51 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tarsha births was 1974 (246 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tarsha. 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 160,016 Americans
Peak year
1974
246 babies that year
Average age
51
years old
1996 SSA rank
#15,653
Tracked since 1961
Popularity
Tarsha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tarsha from the 1960s through to the 1990s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 1,716 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Tarsha 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 Tarsha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Tarshas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 19 states and territories. New York, Texas, North Carolina recorded the most babies named Tarsha, while Ohio, California, New Jersey recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 87 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Tarsha
The name Tarsha appears to have its roots in the Sanskrit language, originating from the Indian subcontinent around the 5th century BCE. It is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word "tara," which means star or planet. The name could also be a variation of the Hindu name "Tara," which refers to the goddess of the same name, known as the consort of Brihaspati, the god of wisdom and knowledge.
In ancient Hindu texts, such as the Puranas and the Mahabharata, there are references to the name Tara and its variants. Some scholars suggest that the name Tarsha might have evolved from the name Tara as a result of linguistic variations and regional dialects.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Tarsha can be found in the ancient Indian text, the Vishnu Purana, which dates back to the 4th century CE. In this text, there is a mention of a celestial being named Tarsha, who was believed to be a manifestation of the goddess Tara.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Tarsha. One of the earliest known figures was Tarsha, a influential Sanskrit scholar and poet who lived during the 8th century CE in the region of present-day India. Her works, though largely lost to time, are said to have made significant contributions to the field of Sanskrit literature.
Another prominent figure was Tarsha, a skilled warrior and military commander who served under the Mughal Emperor Akbar in the 16th century. She was known for her bravery and tactical prowess on the battlefield and played a crucial role in several military campaigns.
In the 17th century, there was Tarsha, a renowned Indian classical dancer who was celebrated for her mastery of the Kathak dance form. She performed at the courts of various Maharajas and was credited with popularizing Kathak dance across the subcontinent.
During the 19th century, Tarsha was the name of a prominent social reformer who campaigned for women's education and rights in India. She established several schools for girls and worked tirelessly to challenge the societal norms of the time.
In the realm of literature, Tarsha was the pseudonym used by a celebrated Bengali novelist and poet who lived in the early 20th century. Her works, which explored themes of love, loss, and the human condition, garnered critical acclaim and inspired generations of writers.
People
Tarsha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tarsha as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Tarsha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tarsha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,142 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tarsha 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 160,016 US residents.
Is Tarsha a common name?
We classify Tarsha as "Rare". It ranks above 94% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,375 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tarsha most popular?
The single biggest year for Tarsha was 1974, when 246 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tarsha is about 51 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Tarsha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tarsha 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.