Alisha

About Alisha

Alisha is an English spelling of Alicia, ultimately part of the Alice and Adelaide family of names. Its Germanic roots convey “noble kind.” The spelling makes its sh sound clear, while established English pronunciations include both uh-LISH-uh and uh-LEE-shuh.

From Adalheidis to Alisha

The name’s history begins with the Germanic Adalheidis, formed from adal, “noble,” and heit, “kind” or “type.” Through the Old French forms Adelais and Aalis, that name developed into Alice. Alicia is a Latinized form of Alice, and Alisha is a later spelling of Alicia.

That route links a modern-looking name with a much older family. It also explains why Alisha and Adelaide can be related despite looking quite different on the page.

Alesha, Alysha, and Aleesha are close English spelling relatives. Alicia and Alice are historical relatives rather than simply names with a similar sound. Ali could be a personal shortening of Alisha, keeping the opening and leaving off the final sha.

Pronunciation

Alisha commonly has three syllables and the stress in the middle. Some speakers use the short i of “wish,” giving uh-LISH-uh; others use a long ee, giving uh-LEE-shuh.

Both pronunciations are established in English. The same sh ending can also be heard in some English pronunciations of Alicia, while other languages pronounce Alicia differently. Alisha’s written sh gives the name a particularly direct relationship between its spelling and its final consonant sound.

Alisha Weir on screen

Actor Alisha Weir gives this spelling a recognizable modern association. She plays the title character in the 2022 film Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical, bringing a book-loving child into a story about standing up to cruel adults.

Emma Thompson plays Miss Trunchbull, the intimidating school head, while Lashana Lynch plays Miss Honey, the teacher who recognizes Matilda’s abilities. Weir’s character finds support in kindness, imagination, and storytelling as she challenges the world around her.

Weir also plays the title role in the 2024 horror film Abigail. Its premise follows a group hired to kidnap a powerful underworld figure’s young daughter, a ballerina whom they must guard overnight in an isolated mansion.

The captors discover that the girl is far more dangerous than they expected. The role places the same actor in a very different kind of story from Matilda, giving Alisha a screen association across family musical and horror.

American popularity

Alisha’s strongest American period was the 1980s. It reached its best female rank, 118th, in 1987; its highest annual count came in 1989, with 2,437 births.

Use later declined to 715 girls in 2000 and 352 in 2010. In 2025, 183 girls received Alisha, ranking 1,229th. Its current rarity contrasts with its much greater visibility among women born during its late-twentieth-century high point.

How popular is Alisha?

In 2025, Alisha ranked #1,229 among girls in the United States, with 183 recorded uses. The U.S. birth records first list this spelling for girls in 1948; its largest annual count was 2,437 in 1989. Rankings count each spelling separately. They describe national use, so local familiarity can differ. The popularity chart shows whether the name has remained common, returned after a quieter period, or risen recently.