Girl name · Sanskrit
Asha
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: hope, wishAsha is a girl's name that comes from Sanskrit and means "hope, wish". It is used in Indian.
- Meaning
- Hope, wish
- Origin
- Sanskrit
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- AH-shah
Meaning and origin of Asha
As a girl's name, Asha comes from Sanskrit and means "hope, wish". It is used in Indian.
Say it AH-shah. Say it AH-sha. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Its meaning puts Asha on our names that mean hope list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Asha on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Asha on 3 lists.
“Hope, a wish; Sanskrit.”
From Indian names, names meaning wisdom, love and joy
“Hope, wish; Sanskrit. Say AH-shah”
From Names that mean hope, girl names that mean hope
“Hope, wish; Sanskrit. Say AH-sha”
From Unique girl names, unique female names from the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific
How popular is Asha?
- US rank in 2025
- #1,373
- 160 babies, 100 per million girls
- Best rank
- #796 in 1989
- Most babies: 250 in 2000
- Babies since 1963
- At least 9,069
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 4 per million |
| 1970s | 37 per million |
| 1980s | 72 per million |
| 1990s | 120 per million |
| 2000s | 115 per million |
| 2010s | 111 per million |
| 2020s | 100 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,287 | #1,172 | #1,192 | #1,219 | #1,462 | #1,370 | #1,575 | #1,339 | #1,188 | #1,373 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Asha
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- AishaAlive, living (Arabic, girl)
- AbhaSplendor, light (Sanskrit, girl)
- ÅsaGod (Old Norse, girl)
- AshAsh tree (Old English, unisex)
- AsmaSupreme, higher (Arabic, girl)
- AstaShort form of Astrid, divinely beautiful (Old Norse, girl)
- AsyaAsia (Turkish, girl)
- AnnaFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- AdaNoble (Germanic, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- NadiaHope (Slavic, girl)
- NadineHope (Russian, girl)
- ElpidioHope (Greek, boy)
- TamannaWish, desire (Arabic, girl)
- AbhilashDesire, wish (Sanskrit, boy)
- AbhilashaDesire, wish (Sanskrit, girl)
- AkankshaWish, aspiration (Sanskrit, girl)
- AkiSecond and hope, written 亜希 (Japanese, girl)
- AmalHope, aspiration (Arabic, unisex)
- ArezooWish, desire (Persian, girl)
Middle names for Asha
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from Sanskrit
- AryaNoble, honorable (Sanskrit, unisex)
- AadhyaFirst, primal (Sanskrit, girl)
- AarohiAscending, a rising musical scale (Sanskrit, girl)
- AditiBoundless, limitless (Sanskrit, girl)
- AishwaryaProsperity, power (Sanskrit, girl)
- AmarjeetImmortal victory (Sanskrit, unisex)
- AmritImmortal, nectar (Sanskrit, unisex)
- AmritaImmortal (Sanskrit, girl)
- AnanyaUnique, without equal (Sanskrit, girl)
- AnjaliOffering with joined hands (Sanskrit, girl)
Asha: common questions
What does the name Asha mean?
Asha comes from Sanskrit and means "hope, wish".
Is Asha a boy or girl name?
Asha is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Asha come from?
Asha comes from Sanskrit and means "hope, wish". Today it is used in Indian.
How do you pronounce Asha?
Say AH-shah. Say AH-sha. Pronunciation can vary between languages and regions.
How popular is the name Asha?
Asha ranked #1,373 in the US in 2025, with 160 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Asha?
Names spelled like Asha include Aisha, Abha, Åsa, Ash and Asma.
What middle names go with Asha?
Middle names that flow well with Asha include Constance, Holly, Josephine, Louise and Lydia. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.