Given name & surname
Marsha
“dedicated to Mars, the god of war”
In English use, Marsha has a related form in Marcia. In Latin use, Marcia carries the interpretation “dedicated to Mars, the god of war.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Marsha has a related form in Marcia. In Latin use, Marcia carries the interpretation “dedicated to Mars, the god of war.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Marsha is a form of Marcia. Marcia comes from Latin.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1908. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Marsha through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 104,442
- 251 boys · 104,191 girls
- Most popular year
- 1952
- 5,590 babies
- 2025
- 14
- #7,749 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −28%
- Easing
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 14 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 7,749 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 28.2% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 5,583 in 1952. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 86,245 as a first name in 2020; 231 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Marsha’s family of names
In English usage, Marsha has a related form in Marcia.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Marsha
- Marsha HuntAmerican actress (1917–2022)
- Marsha MasonAmerican actress (born 1942)
- Marsha P. JohnsonBlack American queer liberation activist (1945–1992)
- Marsha ThomasonBritish actress (born 1976)
- Marsha IvinsAmerican astronautborn 1951
- Marsha M. LinehanAmerican psychologistborn 1943
- Marsha AmbrosiusEnglish singer-songwriterborn 1977
- Marsha VadhanapanichThai actress, singer and modelborn 1970
- Marsha MilanMalaysian singer, host and actressborn 1985
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Marsha, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Minerva
Minerva is a surname from Italian. It is used in English and Spanish.
>99% girls
Nona
“the ninth-born child”
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Oralia
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Martina
“dedicated to Mars, the god of war”
>99% girls
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“moor” · “dark, swarthy”
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Laurice
Laurice is a feminine given name from Latin.
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“one who is lame”
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“a joyous song; a small, strong woman”
>99% girls