Ishaan
Ishaan was the 895th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 266 babies. Its best year was 2019, when it ranked 794th with 289 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 23 places. More babies were named Ishaan in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning lord, ruler · Sanskrit
Say it ee-SHAHN /iˈʃɑn/
- Rank in 2025
- #895 boys, down 49 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 266boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2019289 babies
- Total since 1880
- 5,462babies recorded
What does the name Ishaan mean?
Ishaan comes from Sanskrit īśāna, a participle of the verb īś 'to own, to rule', so 'ruling, possessing' and, as a noun, 'ruler, master'. Monier-Williams records it as one of the older names of the god Shiva (Rudra), and in Hindu tradition Īśāna is also the guardian of the north-east, which is why Hindi īśān can mean 'north-east'. The dictionary also lists a neuter sense 'light, splendour'. The name, also spelled Ishan, is used across India and in Indian families abroad.
ईशान (Sanskrit, “ruling; ruler, master; a name of Shiva”)
How sure is this? Well established.
See also: Sanskrit and Indian names, names that mean king or queen.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Ishaan', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'ईशान' (Sanskrit section), Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Monier Monier-Williams, A Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899), s.v. 'īśāna' (Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries), Oxford, Clarendon Press (public domain); digitized by University of Cologne
- Wikipedia, 'Ishaan', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Ishaan popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #895 | 266 |
| 2020 | #846 | 269 |
| 2010 | #830 | 258 |
| 2000 | #2,069 | 49 |
| 1990 | #8,646 | 5 |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Ishaan, counting every spelling?
Ishaan is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #619 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #895 for Ishaan on its own. Together these spellings went to 445 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ishaan | 266 | #895 | 1,315 |
| Ishan | 84 | #1,877 | 398 |
| Izhaan | 79 | #1,948 | 373 |
| Izhan | 16 | #5,697 | 55 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Ishaan?
266 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Ishaan (0.07 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Ishaan born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 32 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Ishaan.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Ishaan?
About 5,400 people born in the US named Ishaan are alive today, with a median age of 11; half are between 6 and 16. That makes Ishaan a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Ishaan by state
How common Ishaan was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Jersey (2.9×), Washington (2.4×), Massachusetts (2.2×), California (2.0×), North Carolina (1.5×). In 33 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Ishaan: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Ishaan, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Ishaan · Sibling names for Ishaan
Questions about the name Ishaan
What does Ishaan mean?
Ishaan means “lord, ruler” (Sanskrit origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Ishaan?
Ishaan was the 895th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 266 babies. Its best year was 2019, when it ranked 794th with 289 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 23 places. More babies were named Ishaan in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Ishaan a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Ishaan in the US.
Where is Ishaan most popular?
In 2021–2025, Ishaan was most common in New Jersey (0.44 per 1,000 boys), followed by Washington and Massachusetts.