Fun Facts About the Name Dasha
- More than 4 thousand babies named Dasha: U.S. records list 4,133 babies given the name Dasha from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Dasha Mean?
Dasha is a short form of the Russian name Darya (Дарья), the Russian form of Daria. Daria is the feminine of the Greek Dareios, known in English as Darius, which renders the Old Persian Dārayavauš. That name is built from dāraya-, "to hold" or "to possess," and vauš (related to vohu), "good." The literal sense is usually given as "possessing good" or "holding the good," and the familiar short gloss for the feminine name is "possessor of good."
A separate explanation ties the name to the Russian word дар (dar), "gift," but this is a popular reinterpretation rather than the historical derivation. The name is also unrelated to the Sanskrit daśā, "condition" or "state," the term behind the astrological "dasha" periods.
Dasha Name History & Origins
The full name Darya entered Slavic use through Orthodox Christianity. Saint Daria of Rome, martyred with her husband Chrysanthus in the third century, was venerated in the Eastern Church, and the name was included in Russian church calendars. Russian carries a large set of affectionate short forms, and Dasha (Даша) became the most common everyday form of Darya, alongside Dashenka, Dashulya, and Daryushka. Because these short forms are spoken constantly in daily life, Dasha also came to be written and registered as a name in its own right, keeping the stress on the first syllable, as in the parent name.
Related forms in neighboring languages follow the same pattern: Ukrainian has Dariya (Дарія) and Daryna, with Dasha as a short form, and Serbian and Croatian use Darija, also shortened to Daša. Polish keeps the full form Daria. In English, Dasha is used both as a nickname for Daria and as an independent given name, where the Russian ш sound is approximated with the English "sh."
How Popular is the Name Dasha?
Dasha has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1995. Its best rank was #1,254 in 1995.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,128 | 88 | 0.0055% |
| 2024 | #1,849 | 108 | 0.0067% |
| 2023 | #1,908 | 104 | 0.0065% |
| 2022 | #2,510 | 71 | 0.0043% |
| 2021 | #2,350 | 77 | 0.0047% |
| 2020 | #3,153 | 50 | 0.0031% |
| 2019 | #2,488 | 71 | 0.0042% |
| 2018 | #2,278 | 80 | 0.0047% |
| 2017 | #1,964 | 101 | 0.0059% |
| 2016 | #2,274 | 84 | 0.0047% |
| 2015 | #2,063 | 95 | 0.0053% |
| 2014 | #2,012 | 98 | 0.0055% |
| 2013 | #1,851 | 109 | 0.0062% |
| 2012 | #1,707 | 122 | 0.0069% |
| 2011 | #1,899 | 105 | 0.0060% |
| 2010 | #1,948 | 103 | 0.0058% |
| 2009 | #1,697 | 131 | 0.0071% |
| 2008 | #1,883 | 113 | 0.0060% |
| 2007 | #2,042 | 100 | 0.0052% |
| 2006 | #1,980 | 101 | 0.0053% |
| 2005 | #2,263 | 80 | 0.0043% |
| 2004 | #2,004 | 92 | 0.0050% |
| 2003 | #1,777 | 106 | 0.0058% |
| 2002 | #1,686 | 109 | 0.0061% |
| 2001 | #1,451 | 130 | 0.0072% |
| 2000 | #1,743 | 100 | 0.0055% |
| 1999 | #1,575 | 107 | 0.0060% |
| 1998 | #1,438 | 119 | 0.0067% |
| 1997 | #1,347 | 128 | 0.0074% |
| 1996 | #1,280 | 135 | 0.0077% |
| 1995 | #1,254 | 135 | 0.0077% |
| 1994 | #1,911 | 74 | 0.0041% |
| 1993 | #2,331 | 55 | 0.0030% |
| 1992 | #1,777 | 82 | 0.0044% |
| 1991 | #1,784 | 80 | 0.0043% |
| 1990 | #2,441 | 50 | 0.0026% |
| 1989 | #1,925 | 67 | 0.0036% |
| 1988 | #1,971 | 61 | 0.0034% |
| 1987 | #2,164 | 50 | 0.0029% |
| 1986 | #3,147 | 29 | 0.0017% |
| 1985 | #2,496 | 39 | 0.0023% |
| 1984 | #2,311 | 42 | 0.0025% |
| 1983 | #2,797 | 31 | 0.0019% |
| 1982 | #2,593 | 36 | 0.0021% |
| 1981 | #2,793 | 32 | 0.0019% |
| 1980 | #2,224 | 45 | 0.0027% |
| 1979 | #3,088 | 27 | 0.0017% |
| 1978 | #3,122 | 25 | 0.0016% |
| 1977 | #2,847 | 28 | 0.0018% |
| 1976 | #2,946 | 25 | 0.0017% |
| 1975 | #4,198 | 15 | 0.0010% |
| 1974 | #2,565 | 29 | 0.0020% |
| 1973 | #4,021 | 15 | 0.0010% |
| 1972 | #4,129 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 1971 | #4,604 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1970 | #6,486 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1969 | #6,814 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1968 | #7,231 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Dasha Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are strong in material matters, determined and stubborn. You have good business ability. You are a good worker, steady and practical, a builder who takes responsibility well. These qualities may bring you a position of authority and power. You are a doer, down-to-earth, serious-minded, reliable, and self-disciplined; have good power of concentration. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Dasha's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Dasha's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.