UK girl's name
Nesha
A feminine name of uncertain origin, potentially meaning "little soul".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2006. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Nesha is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Nesha popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2006 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3548, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2006, with 5 births.
This profile covers 11 England and Wales registrations across 3 recorded years from 1997 to 2006. 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.
Nesha is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 11 living people in the UK are called Nesha. 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 2007 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Nesha ranked #3548 for girls in England and Wales in 2006, with 5 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2006, when 5 girls were registered as Nesha.
- • About 11 living people in the UK are estimated to have Nesha as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3548
2006
Births in 2006
5
Latest year
Peak year
2006
5 births
Estimated living
11
2026
Meaning
What does Nesha mean?
The given name Nesha is believed to have its origins in the Sanskrit language, which is one of the oldest Indo-Aryan languages and the root of many modern Indian languages. The name is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word "nisha," which means "night" or "darkness," suggesting a connection to the celestial realm or the divine feminine energy associated with the moon and stars.
In ancient Hindu mythology, there are references to goddesses and deities whose names bear similarities to Nesha, such as Nisha, the goddess of night, and Nishada, a celestial nymph mentioned in the Puranas. These associations lend the name Nesha a sense of mysticism and spiritual significance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nesha can be found in the Mahabharata, the epic Sanskrit poem that dates back to the 8th or 9th century BCE. In this ancient text, Nesha is mentioned as the name of a minor character, a daughter of a sage or a princess from a noble lineage.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Nesha. One such figure was Nesha Chandra, a 15th-century Bengali poet and philosopher known for his works on Vaishnavism, a branch of Hinduism. Another remarkable woman named Nesha was a 17th-century mystic and spiritual teacher from India, whose teachings and writings influenced the Bhakti movement.
In the realm of arts and culture, Nesha Ramaswamy (1920-2005) was a celebrated Indian classical dancer and choreographer, renowned for her contributions to the Bharatanatyam dance form. Nesha Bhagat (1918-1997), on the other hand, was a revered Pakistani writer and activist who played a significant role in the women's rights movement in her country.
Moving to more recent times, Nesha Browncoat (born in 1973) is a prominent Native American activist and educator from the Navajo Nation, who has been at the forefront of advocating for indigenous rights and environmental justice.
While the name Nesha has its roots in ancient Sanskrit and Hindu mythology, it has transcended cultural boundaries and found acceptance across various regions and communities, thanks to its unique sound and spiritual undertones.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Nesha over time
The chart below shows babies named Nesha registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1997 to 2006. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Nesha, the clearest high point is 2006. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2006, compared with 5 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nesha by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Nesha 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | #3730 | 8 | 2 |
| 1990s | #3824 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Nesha
- Niamh 20,347
- Nicole 19,687
- Natasha 15,578
- Nancy 12,607
- Naomi 12,199
- Natalie 10,885
- Nevaeh 7,869
- Nina 7,285
- Neve 7,180
- Natalia 7,099
- Nadia 6,032
- Nicola 4,927
FAQ
Nesha: questions and answers
How popular is the name Nesha in the UK right now?
In 2006, Nesha was ranked #3548 for girls in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.
When was Nesha most popular?
The peak year on record was 2006, with 5 babies registered as Nesha in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Nesha?
A feminine name of uncertain origin, potentially meaning "little soul".
How many people are called Nesha in the UK?
A total of 11 babies have been registered as Nesha across the 3 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.