Declining since 1989, #7,885 for girls today.
Popularity of Alesha since 1959
Babies named Alesha per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1990, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Alesha's real moment was 1984.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 5 |
| 1960s | 257 |
| 1970s | 1,232 |
| 1980s | 2,516 |
| 1990s | 2,232 |
| 2000s | 859 |
| 2010s | 348 |
| 2020s | 98 |
Meaning & origin
Alesha first appeared on U.S. birth records in 1959 and saw its highest usage in the 1980s, peaking at rank 7885 in 1984, when it was given to about 1 in 123,636 newborn girls. Since 1989, its popularity has been steadily falling, reflecting broader shifts away from similar Alicia and Alisha variants. The name is an English respelling in a tradition of creative phonetic adaptations, and it has occasionally been given to girls in various states, though it never concentrated in any single region. Its gentle sound and familiar-yet-unique spelling give it a modern, feminine feel.
Alesha is a modern English variant of Alicia, itself a Latinized form of Alice, derived from the Old French name Alis, a short form of Adelais, ultimately from the Germanic Adalheidis, meaning 'noble' and 'kind'. The spelling Alesha emerged in the mid-20th century, particularly in the United States, as part of the trend of creating distinctive phonetic variants of classic names. It has been used since at least 1959.
Where Alesha is most popular
Births per 100,000 girls by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Ale, Lesha, Lee
Sibling names for Alesha
Names that share Alesha's style, for a brother or sister.
