Alisha
Alisha was the 1229th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 183 babies. Its best year was 1987, when it ranked 118th; the most babies were born in 1989 (2,437). Over the last ten years it has moved down 308 places. More babies were named Alisha in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Meaning variant of Alicia (Alice); "nobility" · Germanic, American English
Say it uh-LEE-shuh /əˈliʃə/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,229 girls, down 136 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 183girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19892,437 babies
- Total since 1880
- 57,127babies recorded
What does the name Alisha mean?
Alisha is a modern spelling of Alicia, the Latin-style form of Alice. Alice in turn comes from Adelaide (Adalheidis), from Old High German adal, "noble", and heit, "kind, sort", together meaning "nobility". DMNES calls Alice one of the most lasting popular women's names of medieval Europe. Alisha, spelled to show its sound, was most common in the US in the 1980s.
adal (Old High German, “noble”)heit (Old High German, “kind, sort”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Other explanations you may read: Alisha means 'protected by God' (Arabic).
Related names: Alicia, Alice, Alesha, Alysha, Adelaide.
See also: Germanic names, names that mean noble.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Alisha', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Alicia', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Alice', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wikipedia, 'Alisha', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Alisha popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 131 since 1973.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,229 | 183 |
| 2020 | #1,093 | 223 |
| 2010 | #782 | 352 |
| 2000 | #401 | 715 |
| 1990 | #135 | 2,342 |
| 1980 | #151 | 1,854 |
| 1970 | #481 | 420 |
| 1960 | #1,417 | 60 |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Alisha, counting every spelling?
Alisha is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #1,016 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,229 for Alisha on its own. Together these spellings went to 233 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alisha | 183 | #1,229 | 998 |
| Alysha | 44 | #3,465 | 206 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Alisha?
183 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Alisha (0.05 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Alisha born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 46 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Alisha.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Alisha?
About 55,200 people born in the US named Alisha are alive today, with a median age of 38; half are between 30 and 44. That makes Alisha mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Alisha by state
How common Alisha was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New York (2.8×), Florida (2.7×), New Jersey (2.6×), Massachusetts (2.5×), Pennsylvania (1.6×). In 33 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Alisha: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Alisha, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Alisha · Sibling names for Alisha
Questions about the name Alisha
What does Alisha mean?
Alisha means “variant of Alicia (Alice); "nobility"” (Germanic, American English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Alisha?
Alisha was the 1229th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 183 babies. Its best year was 1987, when it ranked 118th; the most babies were born in 1989 (2,437). Over the last ten years it has moved down 308 places. More babies were named Alisha in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Is Alisha a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Alisha in the US.
Where is Alisha most popular?
In 2021–2025, Alisha was most common in New York (0.34 per 1,000 girls), followed by Florida and New Jersey.