Fun Facts About the Name Masha
- 570 babies named Masha: U.S. records list 570 babies given the name Masha from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Masha Mean?
Masha is the everyday Russian short form of Maria, written Мария in Russian. Maria goes back to the Hebrew name Miryam, and the meaning of that older name is not fully settled. The explanation most often given connects Miryam to a Hebrew root meaning "bitter," and this is the sense usually listed for Maria and therefore for its diminutive Masha. Other explanations derive the name from an Aramaic word for "beloved" or from an Egyptian element meaning "beloved," and some reference works offer "rebellious." Because the source name is disputed, Masha's meaning is normally stated as the inherited sense of Maria rather than as a meaning of its own.
Masha Name History & Origins
Russian personal names of Hebrew and Greek origin entered the language with the Christianization of Kievan Rus' at the end of the tenth century, when names were adopted through the Orthodox Church. Maria, taken from Greek Maria and ultimately from Hebrew Miryam, was among the names that became common. Russian speakers built familiar and affectionate forms by adding endings to the full name. One widespread pattern adds -sha: Masha from Maria, Dasha from Darya, Misha from Mikhail, Sasha from Aleksandr or Aleksandra. Masha serves both as a home and familiar form of Maria and as a given name in its own right.
Russian folk tradition includes a girl named Masha in the tale of Masha and the Bear. Masha is also the name of central characters in Alexander Pushkin's novel The Captain's Daughter and in Anton Chekhov's play Three Sisters - literary uses of a name that was already long established, not the source of it. Through Russian, the name spread to other languages of the region; closely related short forms such as Maša are used in Slovene, Croatian, and Serbian, and Masha is also found in Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Georgian usage, generally alongside the full form Maria or Mariam.
How Popular is the Name Masha?
Masha 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 2022. Its best rank was #4,342 in 2022.
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 | #7,026 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 2024 | #4,422 | 32 | 0.0020% |
| 2023 | #5,328 | 24 | 0.0015% |
| 2022 | #4,342 | 33 | 0.0020% |
| 2021 | #5,686 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 2020 | #5,595 | 22 | 0.0014% |
| 2019 | #8,008 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2018 | #5,723 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 2017 | #7,705 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2016 | #6,114 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 2015 | #8,284 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2014 | #14,054 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2013 | #12,752 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2012 | #7,353 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2011 | #9,525 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2010 | #10,960 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2009 | #7,567 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2008 | #12,252 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2007 | #9,955 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2006 | #9,696 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2005 | #11,510 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2004 | #15,383 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2003 | #15,089 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2002 | #9,985 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2001 | #14,696 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2000 | #9,641 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1999 | #10,035 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1998 | #7,385 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1997 | #13,137 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #10,187 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1995 | #9,253 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1994 | #11,321 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1993 | #11,329 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1992 | #12,772 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1991 | #9,899 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1989 | #13,737 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1988 | #13,095 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1987 | #9,425 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1986 | #8,206 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1985 | #8,912 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1984 | #11,505 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1983 | #11,322 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1982 | #8,831 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1981 | #9,880 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1979 | #11,263 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1978 | #9,276 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1976 | #5,079 | 12 | 0.0008% |
| 1974 | #9,662 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1973 | #7,129 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1971 | #7,075 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1968 | #5,470 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1951 | #5,220 | 6 | 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.
Explore More Lists with Name Masha
Most Popular Girl Names That Start with M
Short Girl Names That Start with M
How the Name Masha Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have psychic power. You can carry on for others with joy. You have a receptive nature and may bear burdens for others. You are pragmatic, thorough, strong-willed, practical and stubborn at times. You are hard working, often martyr to duty. You like home and security above all. 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.
✦ Masha's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Masha's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.