Hessa

♀ Girl

Pronounced HEH-sah /ˈhɛ.sa/Medium

Meaning: From Arabic hissa, 'share, portion, lot' — by extension 'destiny, one's appointed portion'. Hessa is a traditional and much-loved girls' name in the Gulf, especially in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.Medium

In 30 seconds: Hessa is a Gulf Arabic name meaning 'share, portion' — one's appointed destiny (said 'HEH-sah').

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Origin MediumArabic, Emirati

MeaningFrom Arabic hissa, 'share, portion, lot' — by extension 'destiny, one's appointed portion'. Hessa is a traditional and much-loved girls' name in the Gulf, especially in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

U.S. rank (2024)#14065 ↘ Falling

2024 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year2016

Total births (all-time)≈ 28

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Hessa is a Gulf Arabic girls' name from hissa, 'share, portion, lot', with a sense of the destiny appointed to a person. It is traditional and much used in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, including in ruling families. In the U.S. it reads as a compact heritage name (said 'HEH-sah').

It appears only rarely in U.S. records, chiefly in Arab families. Rare here, well established in the Gulf.

Did you know? Hessa comes from the Arabic word for a share or portion — the part that is yours. In the Gulf it is a name of long standing, worn by generations of Emirati and Kuwaiti women (said 'HEH-sah').

Overall data confidence 55%

References — Hessa — Gulf Arabic hissa 'share, portion'

Variations

HissaHasaHessah

Nicknames

HessSasa

Famous Bearers

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Hessa mean?

Hessa means 'share, portion, lot' in Arabic — by extension, one's appointed destiny.

How do you pronounce Hessa?

It's said HEH-sah /ˈhɛ.sa/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Where is Hessa used?

Chiefly in the Gulf — the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia — where it is a long-established girls' name.

How popular is Hessa?

Hessa is rare in the U.S. but familiar and traditional across the Gulf.