Ishan
Ishan was the 1877th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 84 babies. Its best year was 2009, when it ranked 1214th with 148 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 407 places. More babies were named Ishan in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Ishaan) lord, ruler · Sanskrit
- Rank in 2025
- #1,877 boys, up 25 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 84boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2009148 babies
- Total since 1880
- 2,737babies recorded
What does the name Ishan mean?
Ishan is a spelling of Ishaan, pronounced the same way, so it shares Ishaan's meaning and origin.
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)
Ishan popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,877 | 84 |
| 2020 | #1,902 | 78 |
| 2010 | #1,335 | 128 |
| 2000 | #1,646 | 71 |
| 1990 | #6,716 | 7 |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Ishan, counting every spelling?
Ishan is a spelling of Ishaan, a name family that ranked #619 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,877 for Ishan 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 Ishan?
84 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Ishan (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Ishan 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 100 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Ishan.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Ishan?
About 2,700 people born in the US named Ishan are alive today, with a median age of 15; half are between 9 and 21. That makes Ishan mostly worn by children and young adults.
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.
Ishan by state
How common Ishan was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Jersey (2.5×), California (1.8×). In 42 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 Ishan: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Ishan, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Ishan
What does Ishan mean?
Ishan is a spelling of Ishaan, which means “lord, ruler” (Sanskrit origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Ishan?
Ishan was the 1877th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 84 babies. Its best year was 2009, when it ranked 1214th with 148 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 407 places. More babies were named Ishan in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Ishan a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Ishan in the US.
Where is Ishan most popular?
In 2021–2025, Ishan was most common in Washington (0.12 per 1,000 boys), followed by New Jersey and California.