Tarsha
Feminine
The r in Tarsha is silent in most American speech, and that is the whole point of it. In accents that drop the r before a consonant, this spelling and Tasha are identical; in accents that keep it, they are two different names — so the spelling only works in some parts of the country.
How old is the name Tarsha?
Tarsha first appears in US birth records in 1961 — 64 years ago. The typical Tarsha alive today was born around 1974, making them about 51 years old. About 2,300 people named Tarsha are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Tarsha most popular?
Tarsha peaked in 1974, reaching #630 nationally. See the whole 1974 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From Natasha to Tarsha
The story of Tarsha
American English divides on this sound. Most of the country pronounces an r wherever it is written; large parts of the South and the eastern seaboard historically did not, and in those accents the letter is a way of writing a long vowel rather than a consonant. A name spelled with a silent r therefore carries information about where it was written down, and it will be read differently in different states. That is unusual — most spelling choices are neutral about geography, and this one is not.
Meaningnot established
Not established
The name was assembled or cut from Natasha, and carries no meaning of its own in either case. The r is a spelling decision rather than an inherited letter.
How the name formed
- Natasha
- Tarsha
Pronouncing Tarsha
TAR-shuh
Two syllables with the weight at the front. In accents that drop the r it is said TAH-shuh, and both are correct for this spelling.
Nicknames for Tarsha
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1961
- Most girls named
- 1974246 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #630reached in 1974
- Change vs 1994
- −44.4%5 in 1996, from 9
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Tarshas among us
people named Tarsha are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Tarsha sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- Every sound in it is straightforward for an English speaker.
- Six letters, two syllables, and nothing complicated to say.
- It sits comfortably in front of almost any surname.
- The r is pronounced in most of America and silent in some of it, so the name is said two ways.
- Tasha and Tarsha will be written for one another.
- It reads clearly as a name of the second half of the twentieth century.
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Tarsha
Feminine
Frequently asked
- How many Tarshas are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 2,300 people named Tarsha are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Tarsha in 2025?
- Tarsha is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 girl names.
- Will my child share the name Tarsha with classmates?
- Tarsha will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More T names
The most-given names starting with T, all years combined.
Teresa#908 · Theresa#1548 · Tiffany#878 · Tammy#3645 · Taylor#403 · Tina#2778 · Tracy#2153 · Thelma#4661
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Tarsha? See the current top 100.
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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