Given name & surname
Masha
“star of the sea”·“from the sea of bitterness”
Masha is a variant of Mary. Interpretations include “star of the sea” and “from the sea of bitterness”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Masha is a variant of Mary. Interpretations include “star of the sea” and “from the sea of bitterness”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In Russian use, Masha is an affectionate form of Mary. Mary has been associated with French and Latin naming traditions. The precise derivation is uncertain.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In Russian use, Masha is used as an affectionate form of Marya.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1951. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Masha through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 571
- 0 boys · 571 girls
- Most popular year
- 2022
- 33 babies
- 2025
- 16
- #7,026 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +34%
- Rising
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 16 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 7,026 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 33.7% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,106 as a first name in 2020; 187 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.
Masha’s family of names
Masha is an affectionate form of Mary. In English usage, Masha has a conventional equivalent in the German form MASCHA. Masha has a related form in Mary.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Masha has relatives in 6 languages.
4 related names in 6 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 3
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 4
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Masha
- M. GessenRussian-American journalist and activistborn 1967
- Masha EfrosyninaUkrainian television director, actressborn 1979
- Masha RasputinaRussian singerborn 1964
- Masha BruskinaSoviet Belarusian partisan1924–1941
- Masha KlinovaIsraeli chess playerborn 1968
- Masha MashkovaRussian-born American actressborn 1985
- Masha LubelskyIsraeli politicianborn 1936
- Masha NovoselovaRussian modelborn 1985
- Masha WeberRussian singer, songwriter, actressborn 1987
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Masha, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Marilla
“of the shining sea”
>99% girls
Maren
“of the sea; a seaman; a sailor” · “woman of the sea”
>99% girls
Marleah
“from the meadow near the lake”
>99% girls
Rosey
“from the field of roses” · “horse”
>99% girls
Lemon
“resembling the fruit”
>99% girls
Marlea
“from the meadow near the lake” · “of the marshy meadow”
>99% girls
Vesper
“evening star; born in the evening”
5% boys · 95% girls
Magnolia
“resembling the flowering tree”
>99% girls