Asha

At a Glance: Name: Asha – Meaning: hope, wish – Origin: Sanskrit – Gender: Girl – Pronunciation: AH-shah

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Asha is a girl's name with Sanskrit roots, traced to a word meaning 'hope' or 'wish.' You may have seen it explained as meaning 'hope, life' — but the 'life' part isn't backed by the Sanskrit root and looks like a later addition. It's said AH-shah.

Meaning & Origin of Asha

Meaning: Hope, wish.

Origin: Sanskrit.

A common claim: Asha is often said to mean 'hope, life.' Actually: The 'life' part isn't supported by the Sanskrit root (asa means 'hope/wish'); it appears to be a later embellishment.

Source: Wiktionary.

How to Pronounce Asha

Phonetic: AH-shah   IPA: /ˈɑːʃə/

Popularity of Asha

Asha peaked at #796 on the SSA list in 1989, when 239 babies got the name; by 2024 it had slipped to #1196, with 197 babies given the name that year.

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1963–2024.

Make Asha Name Art

Free printable nursery art for Asha, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.

Names With a Similar Story

Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.

• Aanya
• Diya
• Esha
• Jaya
• Meera
• Neela

FAQ

What does the name Asha mean?

Hope, wish. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Asha)

How do you pronounce Asha?

Asha is pronounced AH-shah (IPA: /ˈɑːʃə/).

Is Asha a popular name right now?

Asha peaked at #796 in 1989 and is ranked #1196 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1963–2024.)

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