Meaning and background
The story behind Osha
Osha, sometimes accented Oshá, is a plant name for *Ligusticum porteri*, a mountain herb of western North America. Research at the University of Kansas documents its traditional use by Native American and Hispanic communities, while also discussing pressure from harvesting. That botanical history is verifiable, but it does not establish where the plant's common name first arose or whether a particular pet name has that source. Other uses of the letters exist independently.
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About Osha
Recorded as a dog’s name
Osha appears in 2 dog licence records in the 2022 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/oʊʃə/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the first syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/oʊʃə/ · primary stress on syllable 1OW1 SH AH0
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (2)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.