girl's name
Natasha
nuh-TAH-shuh
- Origin Russian
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 3
- Letters 7
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 129,977
Northern Ireland
#386
2019 births
Natasha means born on Christmas day, and it is a Russian pet form rather than a full name — Natalya is the formal version, and Russians would not use Natasha on a document. It holds 121,275 lifetime births in our records.
- Natasha is a name of Russian origin.
- Peaked in 1987, when 4,147 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 16,413 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1934.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Natasha over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1930s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1930s | 22 |
| 1940s | 86 |
| 1950s | 332 |
| 1960s | 1,800 |
| 1970s | 19,399 |
| 1980s | 38,394 |
| 1990s | 22,006 |
| 2000s | 9,644 |
| 2010s | 4,600 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 1,654 |
What Natasha means
Natasha means born on Christmas day, or birthday. The Latin behind it means relating to birth, narrowed by the Church to one specific birth. The sense is carried unchanged into the modern name.
Where Natasha comes from
Natasha is the Russian pet form of Natalya, from the Latin natalis — relating to birth, and specifically dies natalis Domini, the birthday of the Lord. It is the same root as Noel, so the two names say the same thing in different languages. Russian keeps a strict distinction between formal and familiar forms that English does not: Natalya on a passport, Natasha among friends. English took the familiar form and made it the formal one, which is the same thing that happened to Sonia.
Natasha in use
Natasha peaked in the United States in 1987, when 4,147 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It now ranks 1146th in the United States on 202 births, 1390th in England and Wales on 23 and 3140th in France, across 129,977 lifetime births in four of the seven markets we track. Our records carry it only from 1934, and the climb is steady rather than spiked — 120 births in 1965, 717 in 1970, 1,844 in 1975 and 3,428 in 1980.
How popular is Natasha?
In 2025, Natasha was given to 202 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Natasha 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 Natasha
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Natasha also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Natasha over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Natasha
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.
Natasha 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 Natasha
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Natasha — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Natasha
What does the name Natasha mean?
Born on Christmas day — from the Latin natalis, relating to birth.
Is Natasha a full name in Russian?
No. Natalya is the formal form; Natasha is the familiar one used among friends.
Is Natasha related to Noel?
Yes — both come from natalis, so they say the same thing in different languages.
How popular is Natasha?
1146th in the United States, down from a 1987 peak of 4,131 births.
Is Natasha a girl's or a boy's name?
Natasha is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Natasha?
Natasha has 3 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Natasha?
Natasha is usually shortened to Tash and Nat.
Is Natasha a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Natasha currently ranks #897 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.