girl's name
Alisha
uh-LEE-shuh
- Origin English
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 3
- Letters 6
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 78,248
England and Wales
#376
2025 births
Alisha means noble, and it is British and Irish rather than American — England and Wales 376th, Ireland 381st and Northern Ireland 407th all rank it far above the United States at 1229th. It holds 74,836 lifetime births in our records.
- Alisha is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 1989, when 2,457 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 18,117 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1948.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Alisha over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1940s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1940s | 14 |
| 1950s | 92 |
| 1960s | 1,473 |
| 1970s | 8,956 |
| 1980s | 21,827 |
| 1990s | 14,522 |
| 2000s | 6,015 |
| 2010s | 3,007 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 1,221 |
What Alisha means
Alisha means noble, or of noble kind. The Germanic original joined a word for nobility to one meaning a sort, and only the first half survives in this form.
Where Alisha comes from
Alisha respells Alicia, the Latinised form of Alice, which compresses the Germanic Adalheidis — adal, noble, joined to heid, a kind or sort. Adelaide preserves the full compound, so Alice, Alicia, Alisha and Adelaide are one name at four stages of wearing down. A separate Arabic Aliyah, exalted, has converged on similar spellings in modern use, which is why sources disagree about the origin.
Alisha in use
Alisha peaked in the United States in 1989, when 2,457 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It charts in all seven markets we track — 376th in England and Wales on 113 births, 381st in Ireland on 10, 407th in Northern Ireland on 4, 638th in Scotland, 726th in Canada, 1229th in the United States on 186 and 1810th in France on 20 — across 78,248 lifetime births. The three British and Irish markets rank it far above America.
How popular is Alisha?
In 2025, Alisha was given to 183 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Alisha is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Alisha
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Alisha also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Alisha over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Alisha
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Alisha in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Alisha
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Alisha — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Alisha
What does the name Alisha mean?
Noble — the Germanic adal, through Alice and Alicia.
Are Alice and Adelaide the same name?
Yes, at different stages of erosion. Adelaide keeps the full compound; Alice wore away the second half.
Is Alisha Arabic?
A separate Arabic Aliyah has converged on similar spellings, which is why sources disagree.
Where is Alisha used?
All six markets we track, strongest in England and Wales at 376th.
How popular is the name Alisha?
In 2025, Alisha was given to 183 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Alisha a girl's or a boy's name?
Alisha is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Alisha?
Alisha has 3 syllables.
When was Alisha most popular?
Alisha peaked in 1989, when 2,457 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Alisha?
Alisha is usually shortened to Ali and Lisha.
Is Alisha a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Alisha currently ranks #376 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.