NameCensus.

UK name, mostly boys

Arsha

Feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "ray of light" or "sun ray".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2023. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Also recorded as a girls' name in the UK, with 7 girls.

Arsha is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Arsha popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4107, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2018, with 5 births.

This profile covers 21 England and Wales registrations across 5 recorded years from 2018 to 2023. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 80% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 21 living people in the UK are called Arsha. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2024 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Arsha ranked #4107 for boys in England and Wales in 2023, with 4 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2018, when 5 boys were registered as Arsha.
  • Arsha is also recorded for girls, but the boys side is the larger UK variant in these records.
  • About 21 living people in the UK are estimated to have Arsha as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
  • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 75.0% of Arsha registrations are for boys.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4107

2023

Births in 2023

4

Latest year

Peak year

2018

5 births

Estimated living

21

2026

Gender

Boy and girl registrations for Arsha

In England and Wales birth records, Arsha has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 75.0% of registrations are for boys and 25.0% are for girls.

These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.

75% boys
25% girls
Boys21 (75.0%)Girls7 (25.0%)

Arsha registered for boys

  • Ranked #4,107 in 2023
  • 4 boys registered in 2023
  • Peak: 2018 (5 births)

Arsha registered for girls

  • Ranked #5,669 in 2022
  • 3 girls registered in 2022
  • Peak: 2004 (4 births)

Meaning

What does Arsha mean?

The name Arsha traces its origins to ancient Sanskrit, the classical language of the Indian subcontinent. It is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit word "ṛṣi," which means "sage" or "seer." The name was commonly used in ancient Hindu texts and scriptures, such as the Vedas and the Upanishads, which date back to around 1500-500 BCE.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Arsha can be found in the Rigveda, one of the oldest and most revered Hindu scriptures. The Rigveda mentions several sages and seers with names similar to Arsha, such as Ṛṣi Agastya and Ṛṣi Vasishtha, who were renowned for their spiritual wisdom and contributions to Vedic literature.

Throughout history, there have been several notable figures bearing the name Arsha or its variations. One of the most famous was Arsha Vidya, a renowned Hindu philosopher and sage who lived in the 5th century CE. He was known for his teachings on Advaita Vedanta, a non-dualistic school of Hindu philosophy, and his commentaries on the Brahma Sutras.

Another prominent figure was Arsha Narayana, a 12th-century Indian mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of trigonometry and authored several works on astronomy and mathematics.

In the realm of literature, Arsha Kavi was a renowned Sanskrit poet and scholar who lived in the 17th century CE. He is best known for his epic poetic work, the "Shringara Tilaka," which explored the theme of love and devotion.

Moving forward in time, Arsha Govind Devsare was an influential Indian freedom fighter and social reformer who lived from 1887 to 1963. He was a prominent figure in the Indian independence movement and worked towards the abolition of the caste system and the upliftment of underprivileged communities.

The name Arsha has also been found in various other cultures and languages, such as Persian and Arabic, where it is believed to have derived from the same Sanskrit root. However, the earliest and most prominent usage of the name can be traced back to the ancient Hindu texts and traditions of the Indian subcontinent.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Arsha over time

The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Arsha in England and Wales, from 2004 to 2023. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Arsha, the clearest high point is 2018. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2023, compared with 5 at the peak.

Babies born per year

BoysGirls
02457200420132023

Decades

Arsha by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Arsha was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #3853 13 3
2010s #4057 8 2

Related

Names similar to Arsha

FAQ

Arsha: questions and answers

How popular is the name Arsha in the UK right now?

In 2023, Arsha was ranked #4107 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.

When was Arsha most popular?

The peak year on record was 2018, with 5 babies registered as Arsha in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Arsha?

Feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "ray of light" or "sun ray".

How many people are called Arsha in the UK?

A total of 21 babies have been registered as Arsha across the 5 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.