Entry № 0039 · Arabic origin

Aisha Aisha — Meaning, Origin & Baby Name Popularity

/ AH-ee-shah /
Gender
Girl
Origin
Arabic
Meaning
"Living, prosperous"
Syllables
3
Rank · US 2025
№ 461
First recorded
7th c. CE

A name that means "living, prosperous".

Aisha (عائشة) comes from the Arabic root ʿ-y-sh, meaning "to live" — Aisha is the feminine active participle, meaning "living" or "the one who lives," with an extension toward prosperity and well-being. The name is borne by Aisha bint Abi Bakr, one of the wives of the Prophet Muhammad and one of the most consequential figures in early Islamic history.

Aisha is one of the most common girl names in the Muslim world — used from Morocco to Indonesia. In the West it has been popular in the African-American Muslim community since the 1960s and is increasingly used by families of all backgrounds. The various Anglicised spellings (Aisha, Ayesha, Aishah) reflect different transliterations of the same Arabic original.

She who lives. The name has been spoken continuously for 1,400 years.

The name in its native script.

عائشة
Transliteration
ʿĀʾishah
Pronunciation
/ ˈʕaː.ʔɪ.ʃa /
Root
ع‑ي‑ش · "to live"
Grammatical form
Feminine active participle

Where Aisha stands.

Current rank · 2025
№ 461 in the U.S.
All-time peak
№ 461 in 2026
Babies named Aisha · last year
658 in the U.S.
First entered SSA top-1000
1972
Rank, 1995–2025 Lower = more popular
№25 №75 №150 №250 1995 2005 2015 2020 2025 PEAK · №461 NOW · №461

Aishas before her.

Real people
Aisha bint Abi Bakr
Wife of the Prophet Muhammad. Recognised as a major early authority on hadith.
c. 614 – 678
Aisha Tyler
American actress, comedian, and television host.
born 1970
In fiction
Aisha
Title character in Naguib Mahfouz's Cairo Trilogy.
1956–57 novels

Names connected to Aisha.

The number behind Aisha.

6

The Nurturer

Aisha reduces to six — the number of harmony, family, and care.

Why families chose this name.

"The meaning is the simplest wish. We named her 'living.' We hope she lives long."
Layla · Mother of one · Tunis